One Hundred Dollars a Month - Page 865 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.

DIY Garden Markers Using Painted Rocks

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 21, 2015 · 2 Comments

Rock garden markers, well…rock. You can pretty much always find rocks for free, they never blow away in the wind, and they add a lot of color to your garden. Oh, and the best part is that you don’t really have to be very artsy to make them look awesome.

You’ll Need:

Larger Flat Rocks {pretty easy to scavenge at construction sites, river beds, hikes, etc.}
Paint
Paint Brushes
Clear Coat {to make sure that watering your plants doesn’t also water the color right off of your rocks}

Directions:

These are pretty basic. Paint your rock, or leave them rock colored and just paint the name of the plant on the rock. You can add pictures, polka-dots…whatever floats your boat. Allow them to dry. Apply a clear coat over the top of the painted rock to seal the paint.

Place them next to the plant, and walk away. It just doesn’t get easier than that 🙂

~Mavis

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Leggy or Spindly Seedlings

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 21, 2015 · 11 Comments

One Hundred Dollar a Month reader, Vicky, recently asked me a question about the seedlings she started indoors. Her problem is so common, I thought I’d answer her question in a post, in case anyone else is experiencing the same thing this time of year. She writes,

Hello Mavis, I started seeds for the first time this year. They grew long and spindly. I grew them indoors under a plastic little make shift greenhouse tray that I purchased. Is there any hope for my long spindly veggies ( cucumber tomatoes zucchini and peppers)HELP!!!
Vicky

This is a super common problem. The plants grow tall and spindly {usually called leggy} and the stems look weak and thin. It is almost always caused by too little light. I used to have this problem before I started using a grow light. Unless you have a window with amazing direct sunlight, plants tend to do this. My suggestion would be to get a grow light and finish them off under there. That will fortify them a bit over the next month before you plant. If a grow light is an absolute no, you may want to “chase the sun” in your house. Move your plants throughout the day to ensure that they have direct, steady sunlight all day long.

Even if you can’t completely reverse their growing patter with more light, the good news is that even leggy plants have hope. They can typically rally once planted outside–though, be aware, they will not be as strong as non-leggy plants. The wind will be their biggest enemy as their stems are simply not as strong to withstand it. You may want to protect them from inclement weather outside until they have grown stronger.

Have any of you ever dealt with leggy seedlings? How did your garden ultimately turn out?

~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.

Free Kindle Books, Zaycon Fresh, Beach Dresses, Sam’s Club Membership, Canning Jars and More

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 21, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Word of the Day: Propound Definition: To set fourth, to offer for consideration, to explain Used in a sentence: When the secretary was consulted, he would invariably propound his own doctrine.

At some point I looked at the temperature gauge outside and noticed it was 77 degrees outside. HOLY CATS people… that is crazy warm for the Seattle area in April. Lucy was so worn out after our hour long walk that she made it just 3 steps inside the front door before plopping down. 🙂 She snoozed for a good 20 minutes! And as an added bonus, my cheeks got a wee bit of pink in them too. It was a good day.

Sadly, according to KOMO, the weather is suppose to turn to showers for the rest of the week. 🙁

Have a great day everyone, whatever the weather is in your neck of the woods.

♥ Mavis

Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day – Up to 70% Off Diamond Jewelry

Available Kindle Books I think are cool…

How the Hot Dog Found Its Bun $0.99
The Seasons on Henry’s Farm Free {Grab this!}
The Prayer that Makes a Difference Free
A HORSE CALLED SEPTEMBER Free
The National Parks Free
Boundaries in Marriage $0.99
The Triumph of Seeds $14.97

The prices on Kindle Books can change quickly, so grab them while you can. Don’t have a Kindle? Download the kindle app on your other devices. It’s easy! 🙂

Check out these deals on Men’s belts.

Army Belts 100% Cotton Canvas Military 54″ Long Web Belt $11.99 shipped
Quiksilver Men’s Principle Hat Belt $7.99 {Great for Teens!!!}
Tommy Hilfiger Men’s Casual Contrast-Stitch Belt $23.43
Levi’s Men’s Bridle Belt With Ornament $19.50
Kenneth Cole REACTION Men’s Brown Out 1-1/2″ Leather Reversible Belt $29.53
Carhartt Men’s Journeyman Belt $22.99

Chicken wire, moss and some spring flowers and you’ve got yourself a DIY Hanging Flower Basket. Find more tips and tricks on my Gardening Pinterest Board.

6pm has SKECHERS Bleaching It Sandals on sale for $14.99 shipped. Perfect for the beach!

The Joe’s New Balance Outlet Deal of the Day is the Men’s Print Hooded Jacket for just $19.99!

Amazon has the Hee Grand Women’s Long Beach Dress starting at $7.57 shipped!

Amazon also has the Little Tikes 3′ Trampoline on sale for only $44.99 shipped {reg. $79.99!}. What a good way to wear them out.

Discount Mags is offering a 1 year subscription to Eating Well Magazine for only $4.99 a year when you use code MAVIS at checkout. This deal will expire 4/22/15 at midnight EST.

Are you a little short on space? Amazon currently has the Hydrofarm Dirt Pot 5 Gallon containers on sale for just $5.77 each and they ship FREE with Amazon Prime and the reviews are AWESOME. Yee-Haw!

Amazon has the set of 6 Ball Jar Ball Heritage Collection Pint Jars with Lids and Bands on sale for $8.47 and they ship FREE with Amazon Prime. Perfect for canning season!

You can also snag a set of 12 Quilted Ball Jar Crystal Jelly Jars with Lids and Bands for just $7.99. It’s the prefect size for gift giving.

Wanna make a super fun breakfast that also happens to taste awesome? Try these Dutch Breakfast Puffs. Mmm mmm good. Get the recipe HERE or Pin it for Later. Find more recipes on my Breakfast Pinterest Board.

Groupon currently has the Indoor/Outdoor Waterproof Orthopedic Pet Bed from $18.99–$39.99 and the reviews are great. New to Groupon? Join Groupon Here!

Groupon is also currently offering $45 for 1-Year Sam’s Plus Club Membership plus get $20 in Gift Card & Food Vouchers

Get a set of 3 Travel Shoe Bags for just $5.50 from Amazon.

Crazy 8 is offering 30% off the entire site. Check out the deals HERE.

Zaycon Foods is now taking orders for their upcoming events. Below are their offerings and prices in my area.Go HERE to find out if this deal is available in your area.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts $1.69/lb $67.60/case
Fresh Ground Beef, Lean {93/7} – 40 lbs $4.49/lb | $179.60/case
Carvemaster Boneless Applewood Smoked Ham $3.79/lb | $83.38/case
Meaty Back Ribs $3.79/lb | $136.44/case
Bacon-Wrapped Pork Fillet $4.69/lb | $46.90/case
USDA Choice or Higher Chuck Roast $5.79/lb | $208.44/case
USDA Choice or Higher Patio Steaks $6.49/lb | $214.17/case
Smoked Pulled Pork – 20lb $4.49/lb | $89.80/case

Check out the post on how we process so much Zaycon meat at one time.

Check out these New Printable Coupons:

Find More Printable Coupons

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Cooking From Your Pantry | Menu Plan Ideas, Freezer Meals and Simple Recipes Week 16 of 52

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By Mavis Butterfield on April 20, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Not a single worker will be here all week. Yee-Haw! That means I can walk around in my pj’s until noon if I want and make a big giant mess in the kitchen without having to clean up before a work crew gets here. True, there is still a list about a mile long of projects I need to work on, but I can finally start to make a dent in the giant stack of new recipes I want to try.

Life is good!

Here are a few recipes for this week…

3 Breakfast Ideas

Healthy Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes – These pancakes are ridiculously simple…and delightfully tasty. {Pin it for Later}

Blueberry Kale Smoothie – This is probably one of the only ways that kale tastes good to me. {Pin it for Later}

Easy Spinach Frittata – I love breakfast recipes that allow me to mix my daily veggies right in. {Pin it for Later}

4 Lunch Ideas and Dinner Ideas

Asian Chicken Salad Wrap w/Cilantro Honey Dressing – If you pack your lunch each day, you should totally treat yourself to one of these wraps. It will beat anything you can get at the corner deli. {Pin it for Later}

Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Carrots and Cilantro – This Quinoa protein packed salad makes a great side or lunch. {Pin it for Later}

Butternut Squash Pasta – This is like grown-up pasta, the flavors are out of this world. {Pin it for Later}

Beef and Barley Stew – This is the most comforting bowl of stew you’ll ever make. Best of all, it warms up really well for lunch the next day. {Pin it for Later}

3 Sweet Treats

Blackberry Apple Cake – Listen, I put this under the dessert category, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that I have been know to eat it for breakfast…and lunch. {Pin it for Later}

Peanut Butter Banana Bread – How do you make banana bread even better? You add peanut butter frosting. Enough said. {Pin it for Later}

Peach Cobbler with Canned Peaches – This is a great recipe for those weeks where nothing strikes your fancy in the produce section, but you want a fruity dessert. I love that you can make it any season without breaking the bank. {Pin it for Later}

Featured Freezer Meal Recipe

Teriyaki Chicken Freezer Meal – These pre-marinated chicken breasts taste equally awesome when you throw them on the grill, so take the time to whip up a couple of bags before grilling season hits. {Pin it for Later}

Featured Canning Recipe

Low Sugar Strawberry Jam – This recipe is fantastic if you are looking to cut back on sugar, but not on taste. {Pin it for Later}

What are YOU planning on making this week?

~Mavis

Find more recipes on One Hundred Dollars a Month as well as on my Pinterest Recipe Boards.

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.