One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 1662 of 2143 - I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.

10 Cool Uses for Epsom Salt

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 13, 2013 · 13 Comments

While standing in the checkout line a couple of weeks ago, the lady in front of me tossed a carton of Epsom Salt onto the belt. I stared at it as it traveled toward the cashier–I knew I had heard of it before, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember what you used it for?

Since inquiring minds want to know, I went home and researched it a bit. Well let-me-tell-you-bob, there are a ton of uses for it!

Here’s my 10 favorite:

Use in the bath for relief of tension and sore muscles. This is the most common use, I think.
Draw out splinters. Soak affected area in warm water and epsom salt, it will draw out the sliver.
Exfoliate skin. Mix 1/2 tsp. with your soap or face wash and gently massage into skin.
Green up your grass. Mix 2 Tbsp. epsom salt with water and sprinkle it on the lawn.
Use as a fertilizer for tomatoes and roses. Sprinkle epsom salt around your plants weekly for a natural boost.
Make your own tile cleaner. Mix equal parts dishsoap and epsom salt for a DIY tile scrub.
Add a faux frost to your windows for winter time decor. Mix epsom salt with stale beer and apply to windows with a sponge.
Add volume to your hair. Mix one part epsom salt with one part conditioner and apply to hair. Rinse, style, and wow your neighbors. Ha!
Soothe sunburns, bug bites, and reduce the appearance of bruises by making an epsom salt compress. Mix 2 Tbsp. per cup of cold water and allow a clean cloth to soak in mixture. Apply it to affected area.
Treat athletes foot and toenail fungus by giving your feet a daily soak in epsom salt and warm water.

Do YOU use epsom salts?

~Mavis

Amazon has a bunch of Dr. Teals Epsom Salt Soaking Solutions available. There is even a lavender one.

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How to Grow Your Own Food – 2013 Garden Tally

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 13, 2013 · 12 Comments

{Winter Squash 2012}

This year I’m on a mission to grow 4,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in my suburban backyard. In 2012 I was able to grow 2,028 pounds, and in 2013 I’m going double or nothing. I have absolutely no idea if I’ll be able to achieve my goal. But, as with any adventure, half the fun is getting there. ~Mavis

This past week I harvested a whopping 5 ounces of Swiss chard.

Whop.t.do.

My kitchen, laundry room, and garage all look like a giant garden bomb went off and it’s getting a little tough to keep up. There is potting soil, seeds and containers everywhere, and I am waiting for the HH to make a crack about how he’s living in a garden center.

If I could just have one full day all to myself {no cooking, cleaning, talking, typing, walking} I think I could get caught up. I think.

I can dream right?

It might be time to plug in some headphones, make a giant list, and just power through a day planting, potting, tagging, and marking things off my list with a big fat sharpie as I go. I think that’s part of the problem. I need to get organized.

But first, do you have any suggestions to songs? I need some tunes first. Then I’ll make my list.

~Mavis

Here is what I have harvested so far this year:

{Heirloom beets pictured from last summer}

Beets – 14 ounces

I’ll be planting some more beets this week. I think I am going to try and grow enough to can a years worth of pickled beets. No one else in our house really cares for pickled beets, but I do!

{Tonda di Parigi HEIRLOOM carrots pictured from last summer}

Carrots – 3 ounces

I can’t wait to start planing carrots!

Egg Count – 329 {4.6 per day average}

This week we collected 59 eggs. I have a lot of baking to do so I they’ll all be used and I won’t have any left over to trade with Girly Girl or Mrs. HB this time around.

Lettuce – 6 ounces
M icrogreens 5 ounces

Microgreens are easy to grow anytime of year but they are especially fun to grow in winter as it is typically to cold to grow lettuce and greens outside. See those cute heart shaped leaves? Those are radish greens and they are super tasty too.

Potatoes – 2 pounds 9 ounces

I was able to get 15 pounds of potatoes planted last weekend, but I still have 75 more pounds to get in the ground. I need to schedule an entire work day in the garden here pretty so I don’t get behind on all my planting tasks.

Sprouts – 8 ounces

I need to grow some more, I miss having them on my egg salad sandwiches.

Swiss Chard 11 ounces

Think of all the money brides would save if they used bouquets of Swiss chard instead of roses. Hmmm.

Wheatgrass – 7 ounces

Total Food Harvested in 2013: 5 pounds 15 ounces

Total Eggs Collected in 2013: 329

Have you planned out your garden yet for this year? Are you feeling overwhelmed like I am? If not, what is your secret?

~Mavis

Need some seeds? Botanical Interests is offering FREE SHIPPING on orders over $50 right now.

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Mavis Goes to the Dollar Store

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 13, 2013 · 36 Comments

When was the last time you went to the Dollar Store?

Holy cow do they have a boatload of crap available for a buck! Some of it is better than others of course, and practically everything comes from China, but some of the stuff isn’t half bad if you were already planning on buying the same thing at Walmart or Target in the first place.

Plastic Easter Eggs… 1 dollar!

Egg Coloring Kits… 1 dollar – Did you do these as a kid? I did, and I looked forward to it every year.

Egg Shaped Chalk … 1 dollar!

Crappy Garden Tools that will break after 3 days… 1 dollar!

Now hold the phone. Biodegradable bamboo pots that will break down after 3-4 years, these are cool. And guess what? They are only 1 dollar!

And in case your garden does not have enough bugs, you can grow your own for, you guessed it, 1 dollar!

Okay, so these are a good deal. Notebooks, drawing pads and construction paper… all 1 dollar!

Look at all the crap I bought for 14 dollars. Where else can you find raffle tickets, toothbrushes, boot laces, Krazy Glue {now that was a freakin’ deal} 10 million combs, ring pops and glass candlestick holders all for 1 dollar each?

Cool beans if you ask me.

Have YOU ever been to the Dollar Store before? If so, what is the coolest thing you have ever found for 1 dollar?

~Mavis

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Easy St. Patrick’s Day Recipe – Rainbow Waffles

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By Mavis Butterfield on March 12, 2013 · 5 Comments

Ever wonder what Leprechauns eat for breakfast when they’re not eating Lucky Charms? Why rainbow waffles of course! If you have never made rainbow waffles before, they are super easy.

Here is how to make a batch of rainbow waffles:

Step #1

Fill 6 squeeze bottles with about 1/2 cup {or more} waffle batter. Add food coloring and shake.

Step #2

Fill your waffle maker with colored batter. Remember to start from the inside and work your way out. You’ll need to work quickly. Close the waffle maker and cook according to the manufactures directions.

Step #3

Cut the rainbowlicious waffle in half. Add clouds {whipped cream}. Call the little leprechauns to the table and… PASS THE SYRUP!

After a hearty breakfast of rainbow waffles, your little leprechauns will be ready to hunt for pots of gold!

Do YOU do anything special for St. Patrick’s Day? We tend to go a little crazy around here.

~Mavis

This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.