Healthy, Natural eBook Sale!

I’ve been learning a lot about healthy eating as part of our frugal journey. Remember the granola bar recipe I shared recently? In addition to being natural and nutritious, they are much cheaper than the packaged gunk from the store.

If you’ve been thinking about trying this recipe or the many others in the Healthy Snacks to Go eBook, now is the time! The author, Katie from Kitchen Stewardship, is giving a huge discount this weekend:

• The first 50 Healthy Snacks to Go eBooks sold on Black Friday (Nov. 26) are 50% off! Use code BLACKFRIDAY, which expires at 11 a.m. PST.
• The first 100 Healthy Snacks to Go eBooks grabbed up on Cyber Monday (Nov. 29) are $4. Use code CYBERMONDAY, which expires at 5 p.m. PST.

Another area we’re exploring is natural healing. I prefer to treat a headache or sinus problems with essential oils or my neti pot rather than popping a pill. And it’s much easier to cool a fever by rubbing peppermint oil on Jackjack’s feet than trying to get him to take Tylenol. (Plus, the peppermint oil has never been recalled!)

I recently purchased Herbal Nurturing from Michele at Frugal Granola. We’ve made her Tummy Tea to soothe stomachaches, and I’ll share the recipe for Scrape Soother balm next month. Jackjack is as clumsy as his Mama, and Scrape Soother is just the ticket for making those owies all better.

• On November 25 and 26, you can purchase Herbal Nurturing for 50% off! Use code THANKS50, which expires at 11 p.m. PST.

Here's to a healthy and natural holiday for all of us!

Disclosure: I am an affiliate for these eBooks, which means I'll earn a small commission from any sales made through these links. Thanks for your support!

Earn Money While Shopping with Ebates

My Christmas shopping plans DO NOT include going to the mall. It’s crowded, parking stinks, and it’s just too much trouble. This year, I’ll do all my shopping online.

My first choice is Amazon because I earn gift cards through Swagbucks. With some great Black Friday deals coming up though, there are some things that I want to get at other stores. Drum roll, please! Enter Ebates.

Ebates is a portal that gives cash back for shopping online with more than 1,200 stores. Here are just a few:

• Target

• Ann Taylor

• Banana Republic

• Disney Store

• Nordstrom

• Sephora

• REI

• Sears

• eBay

• JCPenney

• Macy's

• Overstock.com

• Kohl's

• Home Depot

How can they do this? These companies pay Ebates to refer customers to them. Ebates then pays a chunk of that commission back to us.

It’s easy to sign up and completely free. They pay out quarterly through checks or PayPal. No points, no forms, no fees. Give Ebates a try today and we’ll each earn $5 with your first purchase. Easy peasy!

Why Didn't I Think of That? Wednesday

Each Wednesday I'll share a tip to make your week go more smoothly or just make you say "aha!"

Are you hosting Thanksgiving, or helping cook at someone else's house? The stove can easily turn into a sticky mess with all those mixing spoons and spatulas sitting around. Instead of using a traditional spoon rest, set your utensils on a damp sponge. Use it to quickly wipe down the stove during cleanup and then toss it into the dishwasher. Done!

Growing Potatoes in Buckets

(A garden experiment)

You may recall that last year's potato crop was somewhat less than stellar. Looking for inspiration, I found that Kate over at Living the Frugal Life had success with growing taters in buckets. Why not? I figured I'd give it a try. Here's how it went.

Assemble your organic seed potatoes (these were a whopping 20 cents each at the nursery).

 

Examine them and cut in half or fourths so that each piece has at least two eyes on it.

    

Once they're all cut, sit them out on the windowsill for a couple of days to dry out a bit. This is called "chitting" and helps keep them from rotting once you've planted them.

Procure yourself a few food safe 5-gallon buckets and drill holes in the bottom, thusly:

Add some fabulous compost from your bin and put the taters on top, cut sides down.

Cover them lightly with soil and make sure they get plenty of water. As the potatoes grow, I'll add soil to some buckets and straw to others to see how these methods compare.

Now we wait! Harvest time will be May or June.

Why Didn't I Think of That? Wednesday

Each Wednesday I'll share a tip to make your week go more smoothly or just make you say "aha!"


Raley's had a great price on apples last week. I prefer to get apples at the farmers' market, but it's hard to beat 57 cents a pound!

The part I don't like about store apples (and other veggies) is the weird waxy stuff they put on them--that's easily removed, though. Sprinkle a bit of baking soda on a damp washcloth and scrub all the waxy gunk off. Be sure to rinse well, and munch away!

Real Simple Magazine Subscription for $10!

Real Simple is the only "mainstream" magazine I subscribe to. I wonder what the mailman thinks when he delivers it along with Mother Earth News, Organic Gardening, and Vegetarian Times.

I was excited to find out today that Amazon is offering a 1-year subscription to Real Simple for just $10! That's only 83 cents an issue (cover price is $4.99--yipes!), and a low price for a year of fun reading.

Plus if you're earning Amazon credit through Swagbucks, it's completely free. How simple is that?

Winners!

Phew! Now my blood pressure can return to normal.