The Race Against the Clock!

All moms have a few tricks up their sleeves, with 5 kids, I don't have enough sleeves for all the tricks I need!!!  Apart from being a busy mom, I also have a full-time job.  I have often found myself scrambling for a quick fix dinner between work and after school activities.  After all, pizza or the drive thru can really add up and I just dislike feeding my kids fast food too often, for nutritional reasons but also because they don't ask if it's not an option!!  Another area that tends to be a race against the clock is the morning scramble to get the kids to school on time!  My husband leaves for work at 3:30am everyday so it is up to me to get all the kids ready each morning, which is quite challenging!!  The 2 steps to our morning routine that always seem to get skipped or "forgot" when we are in a time crunch is Breakfast and brushing their teeth!!  Of course, once we are in the car on the way to school tummies start growling, the whining follows and then the bad breath becomes very evident!!  Don't fret though... I have found the solutions!!  So for all you moms out there in need of some new ideas, here are a few little "tricks" I have found to be helpful in the race against the clock... enjoy!!

1.  Quick Fix Dinner

Taco Mac
 (It's filling enough to keep you out of the drive through, cheap, but lacks a little on the nutritional side but it tastes good and I often get asked to make it even when we aren't in a hurry!)

2 boxes of Mac and cheese
1 lb of ground beef
1 packet of Taco Seasoning
1 can of corn

Prepare the mac & cheese as per directions on the box.  Brown the hamburger meat in a skillet, drain the fat,  add seasoning and corn.  Pour the contents of the skillet in the pot with the mac & cheese and enjoy!!  This dish typically costs me about $5-$6 and makes Plenty for all 7 of us and I keep all of these ingredients on hand at all times!  If I forget to take the meat out of the freezer, I make a quick dash to the grocery store for a thawed pack on my way home from work... for me it's easier and faster than waiting on defrosting meat!!

Grandma's Goulash
(My grandma made this dish for us a lot when she lived with us and we loved it!  My kids are now big fans and it doesn't take a lot of time.)

5-6 Large Potatoes
1 1/2 lb of ground beef (season with garlic salt)
2 cans of green beans
serve with tortillas or sliced bread (optional)

Cut the potatoes in cubes and prepare "country style" like you would for breakfast.  Brown the beef in a skillet and season.  Drain green beans and add to the meat once it is cooked, add cooked potatoes and enjoy!!  This dish also cost about $5-$6 and you'll be surprised at how much food it actually makes!

2.  Mom: "What is that smell?"
    Child: "I forgot to brush my teeth..."


I saw these commercials for "Colgate Wisps" and thought, "really? you can't just pop a mint or piece of gum like everyone else?"  Well, I was at the local dollar store and I saw them in a 4 pack for $1!!! Immediately I had an idea!! I bought several packs and threw them in my purse and the next time one of my little ones forgot to bush their teeth before we left for school , I pulled it out an handed it over!  At first the others were all jealous because they thought it was the coolest little thing!  I thought my plan backfired and that the next day I'd have a car full of dirty mouths begging for a Wisp!! However, they soon learned by their siblings reaction that those "cute" little brushes pack an unfavorable taste!  It was nothing like their bubble gum flavored children's toothpaste at home!! They have all had their turn with the wisps at some point and have vowed to remember to brush their teeth everyday!!

3.  No Time for Breakfast?

This one is pretty easy, kind of a no brainer but sometimes even those slip our minds!  I keep granola bars and trail mix in the car for snacks when the kids get fussy or forget their morning breakfast.

Feel free to share your ideas below! I'd love to hear them!!

A Penny Saved, is a Penny Earned!?

Ok, so I am a bit of a cheapskate.  However, when you have a family as large as mine you have to learn to be a cheapskate, even if you aren't naturally one.  I am a learned and practiced cheapskate, mostly out of neccesity.  Anyhow, I have decided to experiment in homemade cleaning supplies!!  Most of the recipes I have looked up require the same ingredients (baking soda or washing soda, borax and vinegar).  All of these ingredients are extremely inexpensive so I think it will be VERY beneficial to our budget if these recipes actually CLEAN!!  I am a little worried about the vinegar smell, so I think I'm going to get some essential oils to balance it out.  Let's hope this goes well!! This may even send my kids into a cleaning frenzy if I let them help me make the cleaners?  Hmmmmm?   Below are the recipes I've found on various websites, that I will be trying out.  I will update my results when I am done!!

UPDATE: I HAVE TRIED A FEW OF THE RECIPES AND I AM VERY PLEASED!!  THEY WERE VERY INEXPENSIVE AND SUPER EASY TO MAKE! I MADE EACH RECIPE IN 5 TO 10 MINUTES!

From a fellow blogger... (can't remember which one)
Homemade Bathroom & Tile Cleanser
(ONE OF MY FAVS, WORKED AS GOOD AS THE STORE BOUGHT STUFF, SMELLS CLEAN AND FRESH WITHOUT THE CHEMICAL SMELL)
1 cup Baking Soda

1/4 cup Borax

Mix together and store in a sugar shaker for easier sprinkling.



From ehow.com...
Homemade Multi-Surface Cleaner
(MY LEAST FAV PRODUCT SO FAR, BUT NOT BECAUSE IT DIDN'T WORK, IT DID WORK, BUT I'M NOT A FAN OF THE VINEGAR SMELL.  I THINK I'LL HAVE TO ADD A PUNGENT ESSENTIAL OIL TO BALANCE IT OUT.)
1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

Mix together in a spray bottle, and you'll have your own multi-purpose cleaner. Most useful in the bathroom and kitchen on surfaces.


From thedollarstretcher.com...
Homemade Dishwasher Detergent
(LOVED THIS PRODUCT, I HAD SOME LEFTOVER STORE BOUGHT POWDER SO I USED THE SECOND RECIPE AND I LOVED IT!  I ALSO ADDED VINEGAR TO MY RINSE CYCLE AND DIDN'T NOTICE ANY SMELL.)

1 cup Borax
1 cup Baking soda

or (for best results I hear this recipe works better and stretches the store bought stuff further)

1 cup Borax
1 cup bakng soda
2 cups cascade or other brand of dishwasher detergent

Also, If you use 1 cup of white vinegar in your rinse compartment your dishes are supposed to be extra clean and sparkley!!

From the Duggar Family Website...
Homemade Liquid Laundry Soap- Front or top load machine- best value
(BY FAR MY FAV, FAV PRODUCT!! WE USE SOOOO MUCH LAUNDRY SOAP WITH OUR LARGE FAMILY SO I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO TEST THIS ONE OUT!  I MADE THE POWDERED RECIPE SINCE MY LAUNDRY ROOM IS SMALL AND STORING A LARGE BUCKET POSED ISSUES.  I PREFER LIQUID LAUNDRY SOAP BUT AFTER USING THIS RECIPE I WON'T MIND THE POWDER AT ALL!  I DID USE A ZOTE BAR INSTEAD OF THE FELS NAPTHA BAR SINCE MY GROCER DIDN'T CARRY THAT BRAND.  I LIKED THE SMELL, IT WAS FRESH AND NOT TOO "PERFUME-Y".  ALSO, I TESTED IT ON A VERY DIRTY BIB AND WAS REALLY SURPRISED AT HOW WELL IT CAME OUT WITHOUT PRE-TREATING OR USING BLEACH, I WISH I WOULD HAVE TAKEN A BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE!)  

(The hubby helped grate the Zote bar!)

4 Cups - hot tap water

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (I used Zote)

1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*

½ Cup Borax

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.

Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)

Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)


Powdered Laundry Detergent - Top load machine

1 Fels-Naptha soap bar (I used Zote)

2 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 Cup Borax

Grate soap or break into pieces and process in a food processor until powdered. Mix all ingredients. For light load, use 1 Tablespoon. For heavy or heavily soiled load, use 2 Tablespoons. Yields: 6 Cups detergent. (Approx. 80 loads)

Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in stores or may be purchased online.  Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Inexpensive Fabric Softener Recipes
(I HAVEN'T TRIED THESE RECIPES YET, BUT THEY ARE NEXT ON MY LIST!)
Recipe #1

1 Cup White Vinegar

Add vinegar to rinse cycle. Works great. Removes residue and odors. Also helps to keep washing machine and hoses fresh and clean too.

Recipe #2

1 Container of Name Brand Fabric Softener

4 Inexpensive sponges, cut in half

Pour entire container of softener into a 5 gallon bucket. Fill empty softener container with water twice. (2 parts water to 1 part softener) Add sponges to softener/water mixture. When ready to use wring out extra mixture from one sponge and add to the dryer as you would a dryer sheet.

I do not have a fancy front load machine so I won't be testing that recipe, however I listed it anyway for you lucky ducks that have them!!


Happy Cleaning!! :)