Smiley360 lets you try products for free

I have just joined a website called Smiley360. I am in the process of figuring it all out, but it looks like it will be fun. You go on "missions" that get you smiles. The more smiles you have, the more missions you can get. The first mission, which I am doing now, is all about spreading the word about Smiley360. You then will get little questionnaires to see if you qualify for other missions. For example, trying out a restaurant if they give you a gift card. It is then required that you share your experiences in your various social media. It is a fairly simple program. You get a sample, try it, and tell others how you like it. If you are a blogger, it gives you a nice topic to write about. To learn more, please visit Smiley360.



Disclaimer: This post contains an affiliate link. In the case of this post, it contains a link that gives me a "Smile" for each person that clicks.

Keeping Home 2: 113 of My Favorite Pinterest Pins from the Past Year

I love Pinterest! Last year, in honor of spring cleaning, I shared a list of my favorite pins for organization, cleaning, and general home keeping. It was so popular, I thought I would share all the pins I have added since then. These are all from my Keeping Home 2 Pinterest board. Feel free to come over and take a look. Next week, I will post all my favorite organization pins from the past year.

Today I tried #9 from below. I had an old chestnut and cedar chest that I had handmade for my little girl. Last year, she colored on it with black permanent marker. It looked bad as it was, so I might as well try saving it. The tip worked! The pictures below are proof.

  

1. DIY Beeswaxed Cotton - The plastic wrap of our pioneer ancestors
2. How to make wool dryer balls
3. Clean your pack 'n Play
4. Kill ants with cornmeal
5. Clean space between stove and countertop
6. Natural Ant Repellant
7. Getting grout clean
8. Removing scratches from dishes
9. Removing permanent marker from wood
10. Homemade soft scrub
11. Disinfect and clean reusable water bottle
12. Grout and tile cleaner
13. Homemade dishwasher detergent cubes
14. Home management binder- free printables
15. Silver tarnish remover
16. Tips for keeping your carpet looking its best
17. Housework is a ministry
18. DIY reusable swiffer pads
19. Make your own scented wax cubes
20. Naturally treating household mold and mildew
21. Best air purifying houseplants
22. Cleaning song for days of the week
23. Washing pillows
24. DIY salt dispenser
25. Washing your washer
26. DIY natural rooms scents
27. Beautifully patterned cookies using doilies
28. Having children make their beds
29. Mouse deterrent
30. Clean dryer duct
31. Bathtub Cleaner
32. Homemade Wood Butter
33. Cultivating beauty in your home
34. Purpose of Home
35. Finding joy in homemaking
36. Solution for kid's messes
37. 5 Ways to make your home a haven
38. Guest Room Closet
39. Door Stopper to prevent slammed doors and smashed fingers
40. Buying real food at Aldi
41. A clean home invites the Lord
42. Better Looking Return Air Grille
43. Cooking with herbs
44. Cleaning a dishwasher
45. Trick to keep the area under the sink looking nice
46. Laundry without electricity
47. Sprucing up an outdoor water drain
48. Fix a broken zipper
49. Upholstering your boxspring
50. What went wrong with your cookie
51. DIY dishwasher tuneup
52. Inexpensive draperies from tablecloths
53. Cleaning oil stains in driveway
54. Cleaning tarnished brass
55. Using canning lids instead of pans for muffins
56. How much meat is a quarter of a cow
57. Cleaning stuffed animals
58. Socks to wipe away grime from blinds
59. Fixing scratches and dings in wall paint
60. Making baking pans like new
61. Easy to Peel hard boiled eggs
62. Keeping your tub spotless
63. Slow cooker to dutch oven conversion chart
64. Hanging a picture the easy way
65. Spider repellant
66. Another way to repel spiders and bugs
67. Removing rust from knives
68. Clean a grill with an onion
69. Saving burned rice and 49 other tips
70. Green your home for under $250
71. Reusuable swiffer covers
72. Homemade simmer potpourri
73. DIY dish detergent
74. Helping dogs beat the heat with a treat and toy in one
75. Ice melt for cars
76. Repairing wood furniture scratches
77. Spider preventer
78. DIY produce wash
79. Carpet fresh
80. Non toxic goo gone
81. Baby food jars for spices
82. Getting whites white again
83. Turning a mason jar into a shaker jar
84. Long term onion storage
85. Paint your shutters
86. Removing oily, sticky residue from appliances
87. Painting trim
88. Running and maintaining a kitchen
89. Dollar Store Pantry Makeover
90. 31 ways to add character to your home
91. Herbal tea station
92. Rosemary Mint fabric softener
93. Lemon Dusting Cloths
94. Pencil holders for fridge
95. Homemade furniture polish
96. Keeping buttons secure
97. Homemade oxyclean
98. Slice and dice yields of fruits anf vegetables
99.Attach any picture and it will give you paint chip colors
100. Getting dents out of carpet
101. Making your bedroom a sweet place of rest
102. Removing musty smells
103. Cleaning walls
104. How to decorate with plants
105. Proper way to set a table
106. Book binding and book repair
107. Getting softer line dried clothes
108. 49 skills a person needs for home ownership
109. Cleaning a microfiber couch
110. Maintaining and cleaning front loader washing machines
111. Erase hard water stains
112. De-tarnish silver
113. Remove mineral deposits

Save over $25 on Diapers, Wipes, and More

If you use disposable diapers, wipes, or just shop from Amazon often, then the Amazon Mom program may just be for you! If you are new to the Amazon Mom or Amazon Prime memberships, you can sign up for a three month free trial. For a short time, many new sign ups with receive a $25 credit off certain diapers. If you use my referral links, I get a referral credit for each order that helps me continually improve the blog.

During the free three month trial of Amazon Mom, you can:

1. Save 20% off diapers and wipes subscriptions via subscribe and save. I love this feature as you get discounts on items you already buy, and they are delivered to your door. This is also a great gift for new moms-monthly diaper delivery! Best of all, the subscribe and save items can be cancelled at any time, and you can set how frequently they are shipped out.

2. Get Free 2-day shipping on millions of items with Amazon Prime. Even when my free trial ended and I had to pay the yearly fee, this benefit alone paid for my membership fee. We use Amazon a lot for books, herbs, personal care items, gifts, and more.

3. Exclusive discounts and deals for Amazon Mom members. For example, right now members can get 20% off select toys with a code just for them.

After the free three month trial of Amazon Mom you can join for a yearly fee of up to $79. I recently renewed, and it only cost me $39. Again, this is an amazing price for everything you get with paid membership:

1. 20% off diapers and wipes subscriptions with Amazon Mom and Subscribe and Save

2. FREE 2-day shipping on millions of items

3. Unlimited instant streaming of thousands of videos

4. A Kindle book to borrow for free each month from the Kindle Owner's Lending Library

5. Invite up to 4 household members to share your Prime shipping benefits for free

Even if you do not plan on paying for an Amazon Mom membership, take advantage of the free 3 month trial and $25 off on select diapers. Order everything you need for the holidays and back to school, and use that free shipping benefit to save a lot of money.

Please note: Amazon has a few criteria about who can receive a free trial membership. If you have ever received free Prime or Mom benefits, you cannot get another free trial. 

40 Free E-Books from Amazon!

Amazon has a free Kindle reader you can download to your computer or certain phones. Often, they will have e-books at no charge that you can download to the Kindle reader. Today, I found 40 Books that you might be interested in getting for free. If you do not have a Kindle reader, you can get it here. I have not read all of these e-books so I cannot say they are all great finds. Given they are free, though, I am giving them a try. Please double check the cost when you go to get each book, as the price can change often on these types of e-books.

1. The Heart of Abundance: A Simple Guide to Appreciating and Enjoying Life

2. Coconut Oil Recipes Made Easy
3. Twenty Five Cent Dinners for a Family of Six
4. Over 170 Slow Cooker Recipes, Delicious and Simple
5. Mrs Law's Old Fashioned Recipes: Comfort Food at Its Very Best
6. Savvy Autumn Entertaining
7. The Paleo Aficionado Lunch Recipe Cookbook
8. American Traditions: German Baking for the Holidays
9. Paleo Diet Delicious Soups a Stews: 50 Gluten Free Natural Food Recipes
10. Paleo Diet Recipes for Kids: Family Friendly Recipes for Delectable Cuisine
11. Paleo Lunch Recipes-On the Go Healthy Additions to Delectable Cuisine
12. Halloween Food
13. Make Your Own Hats
14. Easy Halloween Costumes
15. Grow Your Own Indoor Garden at Ease
16. How to Publish and Sell Your Book with Little or No Money
17. How to Become a Do-It-Yourself Mom: A Guide for Simple Home Decorating Ideas for Smart Women
18. Fearlessly Frugal: How to Save Thousands on Entertainment
19. How to Throw an Amazing Adult Halloween Party

20. Easy Vegetarian Recipes
21. 60 Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes
22. Things Mother Used to make: A Collection of Old Time Recipes, Some Nearly 100 Years Old and Never Published Before
23. 30 Days of Amazing Paleolithic Lunches: Easy Gluten Free Recipes
24. The Paleo Summer Survivial Guide: 12 Must-Have Recipes Plus Insider Tips for a Happy, Healthy Summer
25. Gooseberry Patch Circle of Friends Cookbook: 25 Barbeque Recipes
26. Discipline without Shouting or Spanking (select chapters)
27. How to Work for Yourself: 100 Ways to Make the Time, Energy and Priorities to Start a Business, Blog, or Book
28. Herbal Remedies A-Z

29. 925 Ideas to Help You Save Money, Get out of Debt, and Retire a Millionaire
30. I Can't Believe it is Not Icecream: 93 most delicious, fast, easy to make, smooth, frozen desserts with whole fruit, nuts, and seeds with no added cream
31. 60 Ways to Make Money Fast
32. 50 Ways to Make Money on Pinterest
33. Recipes with Honey-For All Seasons
34. 23 Frugal Ways to Earn $1,000
35. 17 Minute Workouts for New Moms
36.  Cleansing for Health, Vibrance, and Fat Loss
37. How to Make Colorful and Fragrant Soap at Home
38. Candle Making Craft for Beginners
39. Economic Food Storage Strategies for Disaster Survival: Start Today and Have Enough Food Your Family Will Eat to Survive Any Disaster without Going Broke
40. Fermenting: How to Ferment Vegetables

Teaching our children to find joy in every day work

My little girl is three, and she loves doing housework, and I let her. I think it is a perfect age to instill joy in keeping a home, and to try to perfect my attitude toward cleaning, cooking, and laundry. Too often, we as parents make so many mistakes that show up later in life in our children in their feelings toward work.

Our attitudes toward our daily tasks help mould how our children will feel about their lives later. If we dread mopping the floor, find laundry too trying, or grumble about going to work, you bet our children will as well. Instead, lets choose an attitude on joy, for we are not only serving our families, but the Lord as well. He put us here to nurture and strengthen our households, and these so-called mundane tasks are a part of a glorious calling from on high.

While they are young, and still enthusiastic, encourage them to do housework. Letting them help may take a little longer, but the benefits will show when they get older. My daughter loves housework, so I let her have joy in it and help me. It isn't always done perfectly. But, she finds happiness in it, is proud of her accomplishment, and she will gain independence and be more responsible.

Every child is different, but here is a list of things I let her do. This doesn't mean your child couldn't do more or less, it is just an idea. Note: I use only non toxic cleaners. I wouldn't let your child do some of these things if you use conventional cleaning products.

1. Wash dishes
2. Vacuum
3. Make the bed
4. Fold and put away small laundry (underwear, washcloths, etc)
5. Wash vegetables and put them into the cooking pot
6. Add ingredients from measuring cup to bowl or cooking pan
7. Wipe down the counters or table
8. Bring dishes to sink
9. Dust
10. Wipe down the bathroom
11. Load dryer or washer (I hand her items to put in)
12. Water plants
13. Pull weeds
14. Sweep
15. Put items in trash
16. Tidy room by throwing out garbage, putting toys away, etc.
17. Help stir food in the bowl (such as potato salad, cake, etc.)

What do you let your little ones do? Do they have any favorite jobs around the house?

Chorizo Skillet

I have been planning this post for a while, and then saw someone make the same exact thing and post it on their blog! The early bird catches the worm, I guess, but I decided to post this anyway. This chorizo skillet is quick and inexpensive. We eat it for any meal, since it is so hearty. For breakfast, it is good with a fried egg on the side. If you need to make this recipe go further, just add more cabbage or potatoes. We eat it plain, but some people may want ketchup, salt, or pepper (especially if you decide not to use spicy chorizo and go for regular instead).

1 pkg. spicy chorizo sausage
1 head cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces
5 medium potatoes, diced

Break apart sausage and place in large pan. Add potatoes and cabbage. Saute over medium heat until sausage and potatoes are cooked through (the vegetables will stick at first, so stir often, but then the chorizo will help grease the pan). Serve hot.

Blueberry-Grapefruit Ice

This recipe is adapted from one I found on allrecipes.com  I changed it slightly to include only wholesome, real foods.

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
3 cups grapefruit juice (I used RealGrapefruit, but fresh squeezed would be best)
1 cup local, raw honey

Blend until liquid and combined. Freeze in a baking dish for three hours. Stir to break up the chunks, and freeze again for another three hours. Drag fork across, creating a fluffy ice and serve. Garnish with whipped cream or mint, if desired.

I think this would be delicious blended with yogurt or kefir to make a frozen yogurt pop. If you are avoiding plastics, I recommend Stainless Steel Popsicle Mold

For more real food recipes, visit the Healthy Home Economist's Monday Mania

This post is also apart of Real Food Wednesdays over at Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Go check them out, these ladies are incredible!