The Humbled Homemaker

How to Take Advantage of Clearance Produce {at Keeper of the Home}

Guess what?! Keeper of the Home's eBooks are all on sale for 25% off! Use code: Challenge25. OR, get all three of her books in a bundle for 50% off using code: BUNDLE50!

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Image by Roberto Verz

Today I'm posting about how to take advantage of clearance produce over at Keeper of the Home. Here's an excerpt:

Since this season is all about incorporating more veggies into our diets and eating from our pantries and freezers, I thought it would be a prime time to share one of my favorite frugal grocery shopping tips: how to take advantage of clearance produce.

You can stretch your weekly produce allowance a lot further if you check out the marked-down, overripe fruits and veggies!

I actually map out my grocery trips to stop at the clearance shelves and bins first. Most stores have these, and if you're not sure if yours does, don't be afraid to ask the store manager what they do with the overripe produce that isn't at its prime but is not bad either. By taking advantage of these deals, you can shave up to 50-75% off your produce budget!

Click on over to Keeper of the Home to read the rest of this post!

Check out my other Keeper of the Home posts:

I'm linking up with: Frugal Friday,

Labels: Keeper of the Home

Fast & Frugal Snacks Straight From Your Garden {at Keeper of the Home}

Guess what?! Keeper of the Home's eBooks are all on sale for 25% off! Use code: Challenge25. OR, get all three of her books in a bundle for 50% off using code: BUNDLE50!

Today I'm posting again over at Keeper of the Home. Here's an excerpt:

During the month-long Eat From Your Pantry & Freezer Challenge, some of us have an added advantage--our summer gardens. If you live in a warmer region like I do, you may already have some yummy produce ready to harvest. So if your pantry or freezer starts to look bare, why not just walk outside and grab a fast and frugal snack straight from your garden?!

From the super easy veggies that require nothing more than picking, washing and (sometimes) cutting to the snacks that require a little more prep, you may have all you need for a great summer snack sitting right in your backyard.

Hop on over to Keeper of the Home to read the rest of this post!

Check out my other Keeper of the Home posts:

Labels: eating from pantry and freezer challenge, gardening, healthy eating, Keeper of the Home

Recipe for a Toxin-Free Kitchen: 10 Homemade Kitchen Cleaners {at Keeper of the Home}

Today, you'll find me over at Keeper of the Home, where I'm giving 10 recipes for homemade kitchen cleaners! Here's an excerpt:

As we near the end of our "Spring Clean the Toxins" theme this month, let's develop a recipe for a toxin-free kitchen. After all, the kitchen is often the center of the home, and it's where we homemakers spend much of our time.

We know that making ingredients from scratch and getting rid of hidden food/food prep toxins is a great start. And by using simple, natural homemade cleaners, we can eliminate many other toxins that could otherwise leach their way into our systems.

Hop on over to Keeper of the Home to read the rest of this post!

Labels: cleaning, Keeper of the Home

10 Ingredients to Make from Scratch {at Keeper of the Home}

Last week, I posted on 10 Ingredients to Make from Scratch over at Keeper of the Home. Here's an excerpt:

When I first started cooking from scratch, it didn't seem too hard. I gathered my ingredients and followed the recipes. But then one day it hit me: I wasn't buying processed, pre-packaged meals anymore, but I was using processed, pre-packed ingredients to make my "from-scratch" meals. And these ingredients were just as additive-laden as any other store-bought meal. Yikes!

I decided right then and there that, little by little, I'd start learning how to make each ingredient at home. And although it is more time consuming than buying everything at the store, making your own food leaves a huge impact on both your health AND your pocketbook!

Hop on over to Keeper of the Home to read the rest of this post!

Labels: Healthy Homemakers, Homemade Homemaking, Keeper of the Home

Increase Your Wardrobe--Without Spending Any Money {at Keeper of the Home}

Image by JNNFRMARIE

On Friday, I posted about one way to increase your wardrobe--without spending any money--over at Keeper of the Home. Here's an excerpt:

My family operates on a tight budget. And since having children, there hasn't been much--if any--room in that budget for adding to mine or my husband's wardrobe.

But just over a year ago I discovered a way to increase my wardrobe--without spending any money: a women's clothing exchange.

Read the rest of this post here.

It's not too late to join me in the Healthy Homemaking: One Step at a Time 2012 challenge. I am leading a Facebook group through Stephanie of Keeper of the Home's book. You can purchase the book here and join the Facebook group here.

*If you purchase the book through the link above, I will receive a small percentage of it. I thank you, as these funds truly go to feeding my family.*

I'm linking up with: The Prairie Homestead, Growing Home, Far Above Rubies, Time-Warp Wife and Raising Homemakers, Works for Me Wednesday, Frugally Sustainable, Deep Roots at Home, Homemakers Challenge, The Better Mom, Raising Mighty Arrows, Live Renewed, Simple Lives Thursday, Frugal Friday,

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Labels: Keeper of the Home, Parenting on a Penny

Give Yourself a New Year's Planning Retreat

Image by MEDIALAB

Working on New Year's resolutions? Last week I posted on giving yourself a New Year's planning retreat over at Keeper of the Home. Here's an excerpt:

I have found that when I make the time to sit down and spend a few hours on New Year's Day (or very close to it) to plan out goals for the new year, my year goes much more smoothly than if I just take each day as it comes and fly by the seat of my pants.

Now, we can never totally predict what a new year will bring (like little did I know during my 2010 retreat that I would spend the majority of that year pregnant and my goals would change to reflect preparing for a natural birth!), but having a flexible, workable list of goals to keep me accountable and on track helps me immensely--especially when the unexpected happens.

Read the rest of this post here.

Labels: holidays, Keeper of the Home

11 Ways to Celebrate Christ this Christmas (at Keeper of the Home)

Today I'm posting about 11 Ways to Celebrate Christ this Christmas over at Keeper of the Home. Here's an excerpt:

As followers of Jesus, keeping Christ as the center of my family's Christmas celebrations is key. Now, I don't think it's necessarily wrong to decorate with snowmen, buy presents, throw parties, eat lots of (good!) food or even play Santa Claus (although my family doesn't). But if we do all those things and forget Christ, what does that say to our children? And what does that say to the world?

Read the rest of this post here.

I'm linking up with: Manger Mondays

Labels: holidays, Keeper of the Home

Healing Ear Infections Holistically (at Keeper of the Home)


Image by Official U.S. Navy Imagery

Welcome to this month's Parenting on a Penny! Today, I'm giving some ways to save on antibiotics by treating your child's ear infections holistically.

You can find my post over at Keeper of the Home.

Here is an excerpt:

Last year this time, I prided myself on the fact that my 2 year old had never had a full-blown ear infection.

A strong proponent of breastfeeding and having nursed her until she was almost 2, I just knew my milk had protected her from ever really getting sick.

And I just knew it would protect my newborn as well.

I never imagined how sick my new baby would be most of the winter and into the spring.

And ear infections? She had several.

Read the read of this post here.

Did you hear about the sale on The Everything Beans book?! Get it for $3 off, using code: FALL4BEANS! I will get a small percentage if you use my affiliate code, here. And THANK YOU if you do! I love this book!

Did you hear about the great sale over at Keeper of the Home for the remainder of the Plan It, Don't Panic challenge? Stephanie's selling her Real Food on a Real Budget AND Healthy Homemaking ebooks for 50% off! I own and LOVE these books! Use code MEALPLAN50! Get the books here. (This is my affiliate link.)

I'm linking up with: Homestead Barn Hop, Monday Mania, Traditional Tuesday, Frugal Tuesday Tip

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Labels: Healthy Homemakers, Keeper of the Home, Parenting on a Penny

Embryo Adoption (At Keeper of the Home)


Photo courtesy Tiffany Childs

Today you can find me at Keeper of the Home, writing about embryo adoption.

Here's an excerpt:

Although Tiffany and Micah Childs have two children of their own, the couple has always felt led to adopt. But the costs and steps necessary to go through an adoption agency were overwhelming.

"Lord, if this is for us, you need to make this simple," Tiffany prayed.

And God answered in a way the couple would have never imagined.

Photo courtesy Tiffany Childs

Giving God Glory through Embryo Adoption

Tiffany and Micah have been friends of mine since high school. When I saw on Tiffany's Facebook page that she was expecting triplets through embryo adoption, I was intrigued--and felt compelled to spread the word about this little-known ministry to "the least of these" orphans.

With the increase of in vitro fertilization (IVF), there's been a worldwide influx of fertilized eggs that parents must decide to discard, donate to science (and therefore discard) or give up for adoption.

Adoption is the only option for these babies to have a chance at life.

Read the rest of this post here.

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