Chore Time

I haven't had a "formal" chore system since my kids were young.  I just write a few chores on our chalkboard each day and they each pick one.   This system works for us... The problem is there were a lot of deep cleaning chores that just weren't getting done.  This past year has been a little insane, plus I babysit my sister's three kids full time and having a baby in the house again takes up a lot of my time!  I don't remember my kids being so time consuming as babies, but I'm sure they were.  I'm just old and don't remember!  I decided in order to keep up on things around the house I needed to have help!  I have three teenagers so there is no reason they can't be helping out more than one chore a day.  My nephews are 4 and 10 so they can help too.

I made a list of all the chores I needed up help with such as dusting, cleaning off the top of the dryer, wiping down the kitchen cupboards, vacuuming the stairs, etc.  I ended up with 20-something chores.  After I figured out what needed to be done I wrote them down with instructions on index cards.  I organized them by room so someone can grab several from the same room and get to work.  On the back I left a place for a name, date and a spot for me to check it off.  I laminated the cards so we could use them over and over with a dry erase marker, which I keep in the box.  I told the kids that each chore should take about 15 minutes.  I wouldn't check off half-done jobs; I wanted them done well.

Each chore is worth $1 and I give a bonus $1 for every four chores done, so basically they can earn $5 for an hour's worth of work.  This chore system has worked beautifully for us!  The chores are stored in a vintage recipe box which fits in with my decor and the kids know if they want to earn some money that's the way to do it!  I require them to do one chore each week from the box plus they still have their daily chore written on the chalkboard.

When Nina gets bored she's been known to whip out 16 chores in a day and earn $20!   Because they are dated on the back the kids know when they can do a chore.  Each chore only needs to be done weekly and there is a spot for chores that have been finished and signed off.  I never have to dish out more than around $25 a week and since the kids use their money for things I'd probably be paying for anyways like popcorn at the movie, makeup or snow cones I haven't even noticed I'm paying for chores.  Once a week is pay day and everyone is happy!  The kids get money and I get my deep cleaning chores done!  Hooray!

Hosting a Yard Sale Tips & Tricks

I love yard sales!  Yard sale season is my favorite season!  Some of you may be lucky enough to enjoy yard sales all year round, but here in Utah a pesky thing called winter gets in our way.

If you've never had a yard sale before it can be intimidating.  I've bought and sold at yard sales my entire life.  When I'm having a yard sale there are a few things I make sure happen in order to have a successful sale.

1- Get the whole family on board.  I do this by using our yard sale money for a family goal...  It's been a day at an amusement park, a camping trip or something we've been wanting to buy, like a new TV.  I make sure it's something everyone is excited about and announce the goal early.  When the family knows what the money is going for, they're a lot more likely to help out.  About a month before the yard sale date I have everyone start clearing the clutter in their rooms.  I give each person plastic store bags and have them try on clothes to see what doesn't fit, sort through their books and toys and really just hunt for things they don't need or want any more.  They start bringing me bags of unwanted goods and their rooms get cleaner!

Assign the kids times they will be helping at the yard sale, either cashiering or just being a runner for you.  I don't make all my kids stay outside the whole time at our sales, but I do make them each help set up, take down and work a two hour shift.

2- Price your items.  I hate shopping at yard sales where nothing is priced.  You can price everything individually with price tags, (the dollar stores carry tags.) or you can have tables organized into .25, $1, etc.  Whatever you decide, just make sure things are priced!  Even worse than not having things priced are the yard sales where nothing is priced and when you ask how much something is they say, "I don't know" or "I haven't decided" or "I'm not sure what it's worth".  If you can't put a price on something it shouldn't be at your yard sale!  You can buy tags that already have the .25, .50, $1 & $5 printed on them, or you can buy blank ones where you write your own price.  I kinda like the blank ones because I always run out of the amounts I use a lot of on the preprinted tags.  Be sure to price your items at yard sale prices.  If you don't know what yard sale prices are like take a couple Saturdays and go to other yard sales before hosting your own.  You can always tell the yard sales where the people don't shop at sales themselves because of the high prices.  Just because you paid $50 for a shirt, doesn't mean someone will pay $20 for it at a yard sale.

Average prices vary based on where you live, but in my experience typical yard sale pricing ideas are-

shirts, shorts, skirts: .25-$1
jeans, dresses, jackets: $1-$3
baby clothes: .25-$1
shoes & boots: $1-$3
dishes & random household items: .10-$1
books: .10-$1
dvds: .50-$2
knick-knacks: .25-$1
baby swings, strollers, bouncers, high chairs: $3-$10
larger picture frames & mirrors: $1-$5
small appliances: $1-$5
furniture: $5-$50
large appliances: $10-$50

Some of the best yard sales I've been to have had one set price, like .25/ea for everything or fill a bag for $1.  If you have A LOT of stuff to get rid of this may be the way to go!

3- Advertising. About a week before your yard sale create a facebook event for it so your friends and family know it's happening.  If you feel like you'd like more variety at your sale, ask for donations of items that people you know would just be getting rid of.  If you have a friend who's been wanting to do a yard sale, you can team up together.  The more items you have the more likely people are to stop and browse.  If you choose to do a yard sale with another person make sure you have a good system for tracking whose items are whose.

A day before your yard sale advertise your sale on a free online classifieds site, like craigslist or ksl classifieds.  Be very detailed in your dates, starting times and address.  You have no idea how many yard sale listings I see that have been written up in detail with all the amazing things they have for sale and no address.  Without an address no one will find you!  

Saturdays are the typical yard sale day around here.  I know some places do yard sales on Sundays.  Make sure you know what the norm is so you can plan your sale on a day when more people will be out yard sale hunting.  A few years ago I started hosting my yard sales on Friday nights from 5pm-dark and again on Saturday mornings from 7am-1pm.  My Friday nights bring in as much money as my Saturday mornings!  People are always looking for things to do on Friday nights.  I set up in the afternoon and I'm busy all night.  Once it gets dark I turn off my porch light and I've never had anyone bother anything set up even though I live on a busy street.  Then at 7am my sale is already set up and I just hop out of bed and start selling!

4- Signage.  I feel like this needs its own category because it is so important!  One of my biggest yard sale pet peeves is signs you can't read.  People will put up a sign with LOTS of wording on it.  I'm sure it says the address, times and everything they're selling, but no one can read it!  People driving around are driving.  They can not stop and read a sign.  All your sign needs to say is "yard sale" and have an arrow or a large plain address!  If it's a bright color that's even better.  Put an arrow sign at both ends of your street.  Yard sale hunters have an eye for them!  I can spot a yard sale sign a mile away.  If I spot a sign and then passing it all I see is a bunch of dots on a page because there's too much info written on it I probably won't be stopping at your sale.  Be polite and take down your signs at the end of the sale.  Don't let them turn into litter.

Some cities do not allow yard sale signs to be put up, so be aware of that.  To get around that people will park their cars with yard sale signs on them at the ends of streets.  This has become very common and it works as long as you listen to my rant above.  See the itty bitty yard sale sign in the picture.  It was perfect!  A bright green sign and an arrow!  I've found yard sales in crazing winding neighborhoods just by following arrows...nothing else, no words, just arrows.  I'm guessing those people shop at yard sales themselves!

5- Setting up.  If you have tables, that is best, but blankets on the ground work too.  I usually have folding tables for everything except the clothes.  I put the clothes on blankets on the grass.  I typically have tons of clothes so I just sort them into a blanket for kids' clothes, a blanket for ladies clothes and a blanket for men's clothes and price all my clothes at .50/ea.  It's simple and it works.  Make sure you're set up at the time you say you'll be set up.  Be prepared for early birds.  I don't mind them!  They're usually good shoppers.  I just tell them I'm still setting up so more stuff will be coming out.  Have a place to take cash.  You can either have a cash box or just wear an apron.  Make sure you have lots of small change including a roll of quarters and lots of ones!  People shopping first thing in the morning usually have $20s because they just came from the ATM so make sure you've got all the change you need.

6- Customer interaction.  Greet every person who comes to your sale.  Say thank you to each person as they leave whether they bought something or not.  Be willing to barter.  If people totally low-ball you and you can't take an offer that low try to counter offer with something closer to what you need to get out of it.  If people ask if you'll do a bundle offer try to accommodate them.  It encourages them to buy more because you're willing to give them a good deal.  Count back change out loud so there is no confusion with money.

7- Cleaning up.  At the end of your sale you'll have to decide what to do with the leftovers.  I typically clean up all my tables and blankets, move all the items from the sale closer to the street and put a free sign on everything that's left.  It usually cuts my leftovers in half.  Some people like to save their leftovers for another yard sale later in the summer, but most people donate them to a thrift store or to someone else having a yard sale.  I've picked up yard sale leftovers from others in preparation for my own yard sales.  You can advertise your free items online.  By dark I have them all gone whether they're picked up or donated and I'm so glad to be done!!!

If you have any yard sale-ing questions, feel free to ask!

  

Guest Post: Save the Books

When you ask a friend to do a blog posting and they not only do it the very next day, they send you all the html you need so all you have to do is copy and paste, you'd think it wouldn't take a whole month to post it! Sometimes I'm a total slacker! Today my good friend, Anne, is going to teach us about  keeping those soft cover books in good shape!

Only one book in this series had minimal damage.  The rest were clearly mutilated.

I like to encourage my kids to read and spend a ton of time and money making sure they have plenty of resources.  But my youngest has a thing for ruining brand new paperbacks.  I've told her repeatedly and still, one read and the covers are destroyed.  When I got a new series of paperbacks in the mail today I knew I must take action!

I don't even know what happened to this one.  It appears as if the print was on foil, laminated to the cover... It appears, but no one can be sure now that it's peeled.

 This project requires very few items and very little effort or talent.  I used clear Con-Tact paper and scissors.  I finished covering more than a dozen books in half an hour while watching TV and being interrupted by everyone in the house AND a neighbor.

Step One:  Unroll the Con-Tact paper side up, lay out book for sizing and cut.  I wasn't precise with this, I just made sure it was cut big enough to cover the entire book and wrap the sides.

I left an inch of clearance on every side of the book.  You could also measure your book, add 2 inches and then measure and cut.

 I taped down my paper to the desk.  I am not gifted when it come to messing with sticky things... I tend to get stuff stuck to everything.  Keeping on end of this secure was crucial for me.

Step Two:  Unroll from the other side, to the halfway point of the piece.

Step Three:  Set your book in place with even margins of sticky showing.  Make sure the spine of your book is toward the uncovered half of the piece of Con-Tact.

Step Four:  Clip your corners on a diagonal.

Step Five:  Fold end flap over to inside of cover, clip Con-Tact near spine and fold over top and bottom flaps.

When both sides are finished in this manner, you will be left with Con-Tact sticking out from the spine like this.  Use a scissors to snip it off close to the spine.

Optional Step Six:  Use a bone folder, butter knife or credit card to press the bubbles out of the contact.  This ensures a good adhesion which prevents dust and moisture from seeping in from the outside.   

There!  You can't tell they are covered.  They look the same as always but are much more resistant to tampering and can now be wiped clean with a damp cloth if necessary!

Cooking Spray Alternative

Cooking spray is really an unnecessary expense.... Yes, it's convenient, but it's really not necessary.  I also am a little wary of the chemicals/fumes/who-knows-what that is in cooking spray.  I do keep it on hand, but I don't use it often.  Instead of cooking spray I save the wrappers from my butter and margarine cubes.  My kids think it's so weird that we have a stack of butter wrappers in our fridge, but there is always butter left on the wrapper.  They're perfect to rub onto a pan before baking or cooking!  Then I just throw the paper away!  It's simple and it's free since you'd just be throwing the wrappers away anyways!  Wa-la!

Do It Yourself Pumpkin Pie Spice

Now we all know how much I love pumpkin pie spice. I use it all the time. I ran out lately and didn't want to buy more. I'm not sure why pumpkin pie spice is so pricey when all the spices that make it up are cheap. Here's a simple way to make pumpkin pie spice using cheap dollar store spices. I decided to keep mine in a cute little short fat canning jar. I love those jars! It took a double batch of pumpkin pie spice to fill him up.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/4 c. cinnamon
1 T nutmeg
1 T ginger
1 1/2 tsp cloves

Mix together well.

Household Tips from The American Homemaker

I thought I'd share a few household tips and hints that I have used over the years.

Once a week:

To keep your dishwasher fresh and clean: Pour a cup or so of white vinegar into the bottom of your dishwasher and run it empty.

To keep your kitchen sink & drain sanitized: Fill up both sides of the sink with hot water. Add bleach. Let sit for 10-20 minutes. Drain and rinse. I've had my food handlers permit since I was 14 with very little lapses. I know some people don't like using bleach, but I love it! I'm sure my love for bleach comes from the food handlers training classes.

To keep your garbage disposal blades sharp: Pour ice down the drain and chop.

To help keep your bathtub from getting clogs: Pour a pot of boiling water down the drain to melt soap build-up.

Once a week throw your dish drainer, scrubby, etc in the dishwasher to keep them clean and sanitized.

Misc.

I keep my dish soap in an old hand soap dispenser. It makes it easy to pour dish soap one handed and keeps my sink area looking nicer.

I learned from my mom (who used to clean houses) that water is the best glass/mirror cleaner. Use a wet rag to wash the windows and a dry rag or paper towel to dry them right after. There are no streaks and they come out perfectly sparkling clean.

Clorox wipes are fantastic cleaning the toilet. I use them a couple of times a week.

Magic erasers are magic! When we had rentals we used them like crazy! Be careful, they are sooo addicting! You clean up the crayon or grease or whatever from the wall and then you see that the part you didn't clean looks dingy compared to what you cleaned. So then you clean the whole wall. Then the other walls look dingy compared to that and soon you're magic erasering the whole house.

What some of your household tips?

Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza... one for now and more for the freezer

PIZZA CRUST
This is a simple recipe I got at a home-ec class. You can double or triple the recipe to bake one now and freeze the other(s) for another day.

1 pkg yeast
1 c warm water
2 ½ c flour (whole wheat works great)
2 T oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar

In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients. Let rest for five minutes before stretching onto a cornmeal-sprinkled pizza pan. Bake at 475 for 5 minutes then top with your favorite sauce, toppings and cheese or if you're like my kids, just sauce and cheese... LOL Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until crust is done and cheese is hot and bubbly.

For frozen pizzas:
Cover your pizza pan with tin foil. Leave the tin foil long enough you'll be able to wrap it up and around the pizza. Sprinkle the foil with cornmeal. Press your crust onto the pan. Bake at 475 for 5 minutes. Add the sauce and toppings. Cover the whole pizza with tin foil. You can add plastic wrap around that if you like for extra protection against freezer burn. Place the pizza flat to freeze. Once frozen you can stand it up on it's side. To cook, do not thaw. Remove from freezer, unwrap, place on your pizza pan and bake at 475 checking after 15 minutes. They come out just as delicious as fresh!


NO YEAST PIZZA CRUST
One day I planned pizza for dinner, and realized I had no yeast. I found a quick pizza dough recipe and altered it (of course, because I’m not capable of keeping a recipe “as is”). I was surprised at how delicious it turned out.

2 c flour
2/3 c milk
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ c oil
1 T honey

Preheat oven to 475. Combine all ingredients. Stir until mixture leaves the sides of the bowl. Gently knead 10 times to get everything mixed fully. Roll out onto your cornmeal-sprinkled pizza pan. Brush with olive oil (I like to use garlic olive oil). Bake 5 minutes. Top with sauce, toppings and cheese. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese is hot and bubbly.

And WOW! I ground my own wheat for the first time. I swore I was never going to grind wheat... LOL and then as I was making pizza crusts I realized I was out of flour. I went down to my food storage room to get some and I was all out there too! But I had several cans of wheat my (now ex) mother-in-law had given me years ago. When she gave me wheat I was like... um... what do you want me to do with it. So she bought me a wheat grinder for a couple hundred dollars which has stayed in it's box until now. It was really simple to use, so I figured I'll keep grinding wheat until it's gone. Then I don't have to lug cans of wheat if I move again.

It was so simple the kids were doing it too. The instructions cracked me up. There were lots of warnings about not grinding grain with nails in them. Is this normally a problem? I don't know why there would be nails in wheat, first off and second, why would someone want to grind them up in their food if the nails were there? Weird!

Round out your homemade cheese pizza with broccoli and cheese sauce and your kids will love you! Caleb said it was so good that I should be on tv teaching everyone how to make it.  He's seven and pizza is his very favorite food.

How to freeze broccoli...

I love to buy my broccoli in these big bags at Costco for $4. It's really convenient to have it all ready to steam or eat and it's a good buy. But we never seem to finish the whole bag before it goes bad.

So... I figured I'd freeze some of it to use at a later date. We don't eat a lot of frozen broccoli by itself, but I do sometimes use it in casseroles :)

And mine looks so much prettier than the frozen broccoli you buy at the store!

First, gather your supplies. You need to move quickly while blanching veggies, so have everything all ready. You'll need a pot of boiling water, a stainer, a big bowl ready to fill with ice water and freezer bags with a straw to remove air (I mentioned this in my last freezer posting.)

After you have your supplies gathered, rinse your broccoli in cold water. I did eight cups of raw broccoli to freeze into two bags.

Next, drop your broccoli into the boiling water. Put the lid on it and boil for three minutes. While it boils, rinse out your strainer to use again and prepare your big bowl with ice water.

After it has finished boiling, quickly drain and dump into ice water. Let sit in the ice water for three minutes. Scoop out some of the warm water after a minute and add more cold water and/or ice. Drain again.

Place your drained broccoli into freezer bags and label.

Close the bag almost all the way, squeezing as much air as you can out of the bag. Insert a straw into the itty-bitty whole. Suck the air out. Take a picture because it's funny. Once the air is out, remove the straw and close the bag up all the way.

You can see that I got almost all of the air removed from the bag. This protects your freezer items even more. Ta-da!!! You have broccoli all ready to freeze. Just like store-bought frozen broccoli, you don't want to cook this too long after it's been frozen. Just enough to get it hot. Yum!

Homemade Laundry Soap

Laundry Soap

1 bar Fels Naptha Soap
1 bar Dove Soap
4 c. borax
4 c. Arm & Hammer washing soda

Grate the soaps and combine with other ingredients. Use 1 tablespoon in regular loads and 2-3 tablespoons in large or really dirty loads.

Simple Breakfast Tea for Two Tablescape

We don't drink tea at our house, but I do love herbal tea. The Christmas flavors are my favorite, so I stock up on them and drink them year round.

We have muffins at least once a week for breakfast... sometimes I make homemade, but usually I use a mix since I can have them done start to finish in less than 20 minutes.

Of course I had to include a birdie!