I made the recipe from this site! They were a hit at my house for dinner tonight. They were really quick to make and took about 25 minutes to cook.

I tripled the ingredients and made a large batch, but I accidentally dropped in too much cayenne, so they were a little bit extra spicy. They were still delicious!

http://purplefoodie.com/garlicky-baked-fries/

I love Dunkin Donuts French Vanilla Coffee Coolata.  Alas, we’ve been cutting back on unneccesary eating out so I’ve been foregoing drinking them very often. Today I decided to try and make one at home with ingredients already in the house.

I used

• 5 c. of Starbucks Espresso Roast coffee
• 12 ice cubes
• 6 packs of truvia
• and an unknown amount of International Delight French Vanilla Coffee Creamer

I chilled the coffee, then threw all the ingredients into the blender. I just used enough Creamer until it tasted good!

This made enough for two large (like a DD medium) cups. Next time I will cut the ingredients in half to make a smaller amount.

The end result was delicious! It tasted almost exactly like the Dunkin Donuts version, but not as pricey!

You can win http://www.5dollardinners.com/ Cookbook by Erin Chase for free! She is giving away 10 a day! Enter now!

I just watched this and I recommend it highly! This documentary features the organization GEMS: Girls Educational & Mentoring Services

I LOVE Twilight. I had no idea what it was when the first movie came out, but I decided to read the books, and was immediately hooked.

Sooo…I was inspired to make some twilight blinkies. Check them out, and get the codes to instantly use them at www.blinkieheaven.com

Ok, so I’ve stopped using shampoo, and I made my own laundry detergent and today I threw together some dusting spray in just a couple of minutes. It’s safe and non-toxic and it’s super inexpensive to make.

I bought this spray bottle for $1 at Dollar Tree, I put

• 1/8 c. white vinegar
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 10 drops of Lemon Oil (you could put any essential oil scent you like!)

I filled the rest of the bottle with water, shake and that’s it! I dusted my entertainment stand and I’m hooked! It looks great!

I just made this fat bottom bag yesterday! It’s a beautiful teal color with a gray flower. Check my Etsy shop out!

Deirdre’s Etsy Shop

Here’s my first attempt at Homemade powdered laundry detergent.

I used

• 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap
• 1.5 cups of Borax
• 1.5 cups of Washing Soda

The recipe I used called for 1/2 cup each of the borax and washing soda, but I felt like there was too much fels naptha, so I tripled it. We’ll see how that works out.

Here’s the recipe link I used. http://www.debtfreeadventure.com/2009/06/simple-easy-fast-effective-jabs-homemade-laundry-detergent/

Well, I’m on a new adventure. I’m tired of my haircare products. Cheap ones make my hair flat, oily, too dry or some combination of them all. I love using expensive brands, but $15-20 a bottle isn’t exactly cost effective. I’ve read off and on about “no ‘poo” methods and I’ve been scared to try it. I’m afraid I’m going to look like an oily mess.

Well, I’m trying it. Today is Day 1 of not using any shampoo. I used Baking Soda & then rinsed with Apple Cider Vinegar(ACV). It’s not fully dry yet, but it feels great so far.

Here is a great article about not using shampoo.

http://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html

With the purchase of a new home comes many new responsibilities & expenses. It is time for us to crack down on spending and be prepared for (almost) anything that comes along with those responsibilities.

The first place I decided needed work would be our eating out/fast food/Starbucks budget as well as our home groceries.
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