Budget Saver Tip #37: Paperback Swap

It's been ages since I wrote a budget saver tip! This tip is something I've been enjoying the last several months but first learned of years ago. (And if you're not a bookworm, like I am, this tip won't do you much good. Although, you could always pass it along to someone else...)

My family has always been a regular patron of the local library and I hardly ever bought books until recently. Now my library is farther away and often doesn't have the books I need right on the shelves--and I don't always plan ahead to order in what I want (because sometimes it's fun just to browse). It's been a bit frustrating. However, my city also has a lot more yard sales than where I've lived previously--and better quality yard sales--so I've been picking up books in great condition that I already know are excellent to add to my family's collection. I've found many, many great books this way for 25 cents to $1 (I don't typically buy them if they're more than that) and often use them as Christmas and birthday presents. Now, I'm not one for collecting things and I regularly purge our house of things we haven't used/worn/missed for the past year, but books are my exception. Because books bring me such pleasure, can be read with other family members (which equals quality time), and can be read over and over, I consider them an investment, not something that just takes up space.

So here's where Paperback Swap comes in. At the aforementioned yard sales, I've started my family's collection of some of my favorite series. But I can't always find every book in the series at the same time. So I joined Paperback Swap to see if they had some of the ones I was missing. They did! And they have a system set up so you can add books to your wish list and then when they show up, you get an email notification so you can order it while it's available. Slowly but surely I'm completing our collection of a few different series (as well as other well-desired books).

For those of us on a tight budget, here's the nice thing: There is no charge for joining Paperback Swap. All you have to do is offer 10 books on the system--and most books are accepted as long as they're in good condition. When my mom and I scrounged around for books we had but didn't want or need anymore, we easily came up with enough to get me started. Once you've posted your 10 books, you get two free book credits to use immediately. And one book credit is good for one free book! By the way, Paperback Swap also has textbooks, audiobooks, and DVDs, and they have hardback books as well as paperbacks. So if your experience is like mine, you'll post your 10 books online, request two free books to be sent to you, and while you're waiting for them, other members will start requesting the books you've posted. Then, you just have to package those books, take them to the post office, and pay postage (which is usually under $3 each). Once the recipients receive the books you sent, you receive one credit per book and can order more books! It's a wonderful cycle that I have had a lot of fun with, and from a monetary standpoint it has been worth it for me to be part of.

Surviving the 1st Trimester

(source)

The first trimester is always extremely difficult for me just to get through. And it hasn't gotten any easier with subsequent pregnancies. I thought last time, pregnant with my first boy, was the worst I'd ever felt. This time it was even worse. The extreme exhaustion and constant nausea hit me with a vengeance and I had to keep reminding myself to keep breathing and that I would survive this again. At least, I hoped I would! Each day I couldn't wait until (a very early) bedtime when I could escape my misery for several hours in sleep.

With that said, I know women who are so sick (some of them the whole pregnancy) that they have trouble keeping any food down and sometimes end up in the hospital with IV fluids. I am very grateful never to have been that bad off and greatly admire those who somehow survive such experiences.

Having used essential oils for years, I was hopeful I could combat some of the nausea with ginger, peppermint, or lemon this time. But I found out in a hurry that any smells, no matter how good or natural, didn't help at all. My sense of smell was just too heightened. So that remedy was out.

Every pregnancy, in my efforts to get myself feeling better, I learn a lot about what my body needs. Last pregnancy I learned that I was hyper-sensitive to MSG and that if I avoided it (in all its many forms), I would feel a whole lot better (see post here). After pregnancy I was no longer as sensitive but because I had already developed the habit of avoiding MSG, it was easy to maintain that healthy change to my family's lifestyle.

I am now officially in the second trimester (phew!) and have felt considerably better the last couple weeks, which has been the greatest relief in the world! But I'm noticing that certain things in foods still affect me and if I'm not vigilant I may pay for it for a day or two afterward. I'll get into that a bit later...

Because the first trimester this time around was so terribly yucky, I learned a lot about what is happening inside the body and what the body needs to recover from everything required to grow a baby. Many thanks to my friend, Emily, who supplied me with the needed information to start me on this journey! I offer these insights, suggestions, and tips in an effort to help others. I realize not everything will help everyone, but I feel compelled to share, hoping these ideas may improve another expectant mother's quality of life. (Note: The below remedies were in addition to my healthy, whole foods diet--although, during the first several weeks, diet becomes a matter of whatever I can tolerate, which isn't much):

1- First of all, in my frequent, small snacks I learned I needed salt! Often. I craved it many times a day, which is not normal for me (except during the first trimester of pregnancy). Interestingly, I learned that at about 5 weeks (see this site) the placenta begins to fill with amniotic fluid, which is of the same makeup as ocean water, even with the same minerals in the same amounts! Suddenly I understood why my body needed extra salt during those few weeks.

2- Besides salt, my body needed lots of water, of course, since it was producing that amniotic fluid. And this will continue to be the case throughout pregnancy, as the fluid changes and increases over time. I always stay very hydrated, but I noticed that water wasn't helping me feel better or more hydrated by itself. I still felt a lack of something. So learning that the amniotic fluid also contains electrolytes taught me that I needed to add electrolytes to my diet somehow. I was happy to learn that instead of guzzling sugary Gatorade or other sports drink I could get  a small bottle of electrolytes to add to my water, a mere drop per glassful. It doesn't have a taste or smell, but it has made a difference for me, so I continue to drink it in all my water. (You can easily find Elete online on Amazon.)

3- I found myself craving orange juice and potatoes every day for a while there, so it was no surprise when I found out that both foods contain lots of potassium. It was therefore logical to conclude that my body was deficient in Potassium, which is an electrolyte. I felt better when I drank orange juice and ate potatoes, even though otherwise I was mostly surviving on Saltine crackers. :(

4- Another thing I learned a lot more about was cell salts. These are mineral salts that can be absorbed directly into our own body's cells to help repair cell dysfunction and restore the balance of minerals in our cells. (See this article for more information on how cell salts work.) For expectant women who can't keep food or water down, cell salts can be particularly helpful. For me, they did lessen my nausea--in fact, I'm still taking them every day for a while longer. I purchased all 12 of them (Hyland's brand) online. If you would like to know the proper daily regimen for morning sickness, please leave a comment or email me. It's a little involved but very worth it.


5- Even after doing all of the above, I was feeling more stable, though not perfect, and was concerned that with all my food aversions I wasn't getting the nutrients I needed from my food. And for the first time I also wasn't taking a prenatal vitamin because they make me sick during the first trimester and I've been trying to weed out synthetic vitamins from my family's lifestyle. So I talked to my friend, Tonya, an herbalist at the School of Natural Healing. She recommended that I take a certain number of Dr. Christopher's Vitalerbs capsules as well as wheat germ oil capsules every day. (Leave me a comment or send me an email if you would like to know my prescribed regimen.) It took me a couple weeks before I was able to swallow as many of them as I was supposed to, since I had an overactive gag reflex for a while, but once I started I could tell they were helping me. I felt a little more stable, reassured that I was getting much of the greens I needed but couldn't tolerate eating yet, and--hallelujah!--they were even helping my constipation.

6- The next thing I found that helped was having an NAET treatment (see my article about NAET here). During that treatment I wasn't at all surprised to find out that my minerals were "all out of whack." My provider balanced my minerals and I felt considerably better. Since then I haven't craved salt like I did and only need orange juice a couple times a week instead of every day. I also feel like I'm doing much better getting the nutrients I need from my food and assimilating them properly, which I wasn't doing before.

7- While I was at my NAET provider's, she also did some Emotion Code work on me (see my article here). That always helps, without fail. It also reminded me that I need to be doing the Emotion Code on myself more regularly, since I can and it works.

8- A couple weeks later I went back for another NAET/Emotion Code/Energy treatment as a follow-up to my last appointment. I was doing much better by then but was still having trouble assimilating protein. I felt like anytime I ate protein other than dairy, my whole body shut down to digest it. That is a very uncomfortable, unnerving experience! Plus, it's not convenient for a mom of three young children. My provider helped with that and I've been concentrating on adding more varied proteins back into my diet, such as (fresh) eggs, chicken, turkey, red meat, nuts, and beans. (I haven't done well with the latter yet, which used to be one of the staples of my diet, but I did successfully eat and enjoy hummus last week, so we're making progress!) I really do feel much more stable when I eat the proteins my body needs.

© Remyrw | Dreamstime Stock Photos

9- Finally, I've been noticing that I don't have a good reaction to products with processed soy, corn, or other GMO foods. We don't eat many processed foods, but for those we do eat I've been watching labels even more closely for soybean oil and ingredients made with corn--which are in almost everything. I've had to pay extra for non-GMO tortilla chips and even forego eating the delicious corn on the cob we've receive that isn't organic and therefore almost certainly GMO. Sadness... But it's worth not feeling crappy the next day.

10- The last thing that has helped recently, on days when the nausea returns, is the Sea Bands my sister sent me. I'd never used them before a few days ago and I've been impressed! They really do work to reduce nausea, and quickly. My sister-in-law wears Psi Bands during pregnancy, which are another type of acupressure band, and they really help her also. I wish I had known about them 10 years ago, when I was pregnant with my first!

So there's the saga, forever documented before I forget! I hope at least one of these ideas helps you or a woman you love who is suffering with the effects of "morning" sickness. And if it's you, hang in there! You're not alone and you will get through this. :)

Earning Money in the Sharing Economy

While my husband is between full-time jobs, we've noticed how many people in this economy are thinking--and working--outside the box to support their families. It's helped us see things in a different light and given us ideas of our own. But the ideas on this short video are so innovative and cool that I had to share it...

Budget Saver Tip #34: Buying Wheat, Part II

We don't eat as much wheat now as we did back when I started this blog, simply because of Bountiful Baskets and our subsequent increase in eating fruits and vegetables. But wheat is still one of our food staples, so we have no problem rotating it in food storage. In fact, we had recently gotten down to the last 50 lbs or so (which is alarmingly low for us and should theoretically never happen), so my husband made a couple inquiries to find the best deal.  In the past we have generally bought bulk wheat from one of our church's canneries, as I detailed in a post I wrote two years ago, here--the Part I of this Budget Saver Tip. The Church Canneries typically have the best price and we always buy a lot at once, so this has worked out well for us. But last year my husband found out that about once a year or so, IFA (Intermountain Farmers Association) gets in wheat for even cheaper. And it's good, triple-cleaned wheat, too. Now, for those of you not on the western side of the country, IFA isn't an option, but I wonder if there aren't other comparable farm stores in your area...

So now, as you can see from the picture, we have replenished our wheat supply--by 700 lbs. This should last us a little over 2 years and it cost us $19 per 50 lb. bag. That's a 2+ year supply for less than $275! I love it.

For more numbers, check out my post on money saved by home grinding (and home bread making) here.

For more information on how we store our wheat, see this post. (To add to that information, we now have multiple buckets--which we purchased secondhand for a dollar or two at our Wal-Mart bakery--to make things even easier.)

And lastly, for those unsure of the nutritional difference between white and wheat flour, see my post here.

Budget Saver Tip #33: Start A Money Makeover

I recently read this book after a dear friend told me about it, and I was pleased to realize that my husband and I already do most of the things Dave Ramsey advises in his Total Money Makeover Plan. It also gave me a greater appreciation for the fact that we had no student debt right out of grad school, as frankly, I was stunned to learn how much student debt the vast majority of Americans accrue.

One of Dave Ramsey's biggest pushes is to help people get out of debt. I guess if you've never been without debt it's hard to conceive what it feels like to be debt-free (except a mortgage), but from my husband's and my point of view, how do people function under such heavy debt burdens? Where's the peace of mind, the reassurance that if something terrible happened, you'd be okay financially. Of course, in our finances we still have progress to make and goals to reach, but I'm glad to re-realize that we're on the right track.

One thing I took particular note of in this book was his discussion on car loans. Back in this post I mentioned that it seemed that getting a car loan was just a normal way of life for the average American. Well, I was right. As Dave Ramsey says: "When it comes to money, normal is broke. You want to be weird, and weird people don’t have car payments." (I guess that's why we've seen people look floored when they've learned we bought our van in full. In this, I don't mind being weird!) 

According to Ramsey:

"Recent statistics show that one-third of car buyers sign up for a six-year loan at an average interest rate of 9.6%. Among these buyers, the average price of the car is just over $26,000. This means that one-third of the cars you see on the road are dragging a $475 payment behind them.

"The car dealer won’t tell you that your awesome new car loses about 25% of its value the instant you drive it off the lot. After four years, your car has lost about 70% of its value!

"What does that mean? After six years, you’ve paid almost $33,000 for a $26,000 car, which is now worth maybe $6,000. Not a good deal." (Source)

Ugh. Americans definitely need to wake up and get wise to the numbers! (If you're wondering how not to do the above, see Dave Ramsey's car plan here, and what we did last year here.)

And by the way, if you're one of those who likes to lease your cars, that's an even worse mistake--in fact, Dave Ramsey calls that "car fleecing:"

"Statistically, leasing is the most expensive way to drive a car. But, according to CNW Marketing Research, nearly one in five people lease their cars. The National Auto Dealers Association says car companies make more money off leasing you a car than if you bought a car with cash. Don’t fall victim to the 'fleece.'" (emphasis added) (Source)

There is so much more great information in this book and so much sound advice that I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know how to get out of debt and/or how to get more on top of their finances. This is a "makeover" that has worked for many thousands of people, laid out in a step-by-step process that makes it easy to understand, if not to do. As Dave so often says, "If you will live like no one else," [budgeting, sacrificing, and being responsible with your money], "one day you will live like no one else," [be financially free and independent].

Yard "Saling"

Last summer I wrote about yard sales as Budget Saver Tip #23 because going "yard saling" has saved our family a lot of money over the years. Now that this season has come around again, I've once again got it on the brain. A couple weekends ago was a great one for yard sales in my town and I scored big! I'm still excited about it. :)

The best thing was finally finding a bike for my 7-year-old. I looked all summer last year, without success, and had almost decided we were going to have to save up for a brand new, expensive bike. But I kept praying and looking, and was finally rewarded by finding a nice one my daughter's size--for $5! What a blessing. All the bikes I've seen for that price at thrift stores and other yard sales over the past year have been rusty pieces of junk. But not this one! The money saved was so worth the long wait! (She did have good scooter to use all last summer.)

Something else I found that weekend yard saling were two shirts for me. One was brand new, the other looked new, and they were Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger brands--for 50 cents each! The only time I have brand name clothing is when I find it like this. But I was tickled more by finding good quality shirts that I really liked than the fact that they were brand name; that was just the icing on the cake.

That weekend I found a few more needed items for great prices, which all culminated in a fabulous start to the yard sale season. So here's wishing us all great success!

"Aha" Apples

Ever had one of those "aha" or "I knew it!" moments about something you've already been doing for years? That's what I had a while back about something as simple as cutting an apple.

I had never thought about the way I cut apples until a good friend of mine watched me cutting them for a pie and asked me about it. She wondered why I did it that way and all I could say was that's how my mom taught me to do it, once upon a time.

Much later, my mother informed me that she had watched part of a cooking show where the chef demonstrated our way of cutting apples and said it was the most efficient way to cut them. My mom and I already knew that from experience, but we didn't expect a professional chef to know it! (Well, okay, we didn't really think about it.)

Such a little thing, but I felt validated. And I thought it would be fun to share.

So here is another chef demonstrating this technique (the only thing I don't do is cut off the little end at the beginning):

How to Cut Apples -- powered by ehow

Budget Saver Tip #31: Handy Uses for Rubbing Alcohol

Isopropyl Alcohol is a petrochemical and therefore not a substance I like to use regularly, but it definitely has its household uses. And when it comes to cleaning windows and mirrors, there is nothing I've tried that is as effective as rubbing alcohol. A little goes a long way, and a 16-ounce bottle typically costs around $1. It also cuts through crusties and dries without streaking better than anything else I've tried, including products that are made specifically for windows and mirrors.

As I researched this topic, I was surprised to learn just how many other handy household uses isopropyl alcohol has!

Budget Saver Tip #29: Scrubbers

When we have hard, crusty food stuck to our dishes, I like to use Scotch-Brite no scratch pads to get them ready for the dishwasher. I've tried several different kinds of scrubbers over the years and these are what I've settled on as my favorite. (Too bad I'm not paid for endorsing products, right?) I like these because they do the job without scratching my dishes and they're very durable. When the pads get too gross to clean off under the faucet, I put them in the dishwasher and they clean off really well. And they're large enough that I only need half a pad, so I cut them in half before use. Each half pad lasts me for a few months, so even though there are only three pads per pack, I only have to buy a new pack once a year or so. Therefore, the cost for scouring pads for our family per year is negligible. Everyone likes different products, of course, but this--about 40 cents per half pad per three months or so--is what works for me.

Budget Saver Tip #28: Make Your Own Dishwasher Detergent

Budget Saver Tip#28: Make Your Own Dishwasher Detergent

A while back, a cousin of mine sent me this link to a recipe for homemade laundry detergent, which is something I've meant to make for a long time--and still intend to do. But after realizing how often I have to buy dishwasher detergent, versus laundry detergent, I opted to first try the former. So far I'm hooked! Not only does homemade dishwasher detergent cost less, but it also has much fewer ingredients and no funky chemicals. (One thing I hadn't thought about is that commercial detergents have a chemical in them that prevents buildup in the plumbing. This site offers a solution for that.)

Rather than re-invent the wheel, I will direct you to a couple of the sites I found. I've seen several places with detergent recipes and they're all very similar. (Note: I have found they range between recommending 1 to 2 Tb. detergent per load):

The New Homemaker-I haven't tried mine with essential oils yet and it works fine without them. If your essential oils are pure without fillers of any kind, 30 drops per batch is way over the top; 10 would probably be more than adequate.

DIYNatural has a cost savings breakdown, which is cool to see the visual and compare.

Secrets for the Perfect Pie Crust

Making pie crust is not my favorite activity and is actually something I historically have tried to avoid. As a result, I haven't had the kind of practice that would help me make beautiful, flaky, delicious crust. But this Thanksgiving, I wanted the crust on my pumpkin pie to be as good as possible, so I looked up tips online to see what I could learn. I knew from my aunt's pie crust recipe that making it with butter rather than Crisco greatly improves the taste, but without a lot of experience, I wasn't sure I could make that work and look pretty, since such pastry falls easily when baked. I found this website with step-by-step instructions, photos, and explanations as to why these steps are important. It made perfect sense and I learned a lot! I wished I'd known this stuff a long time ago.

So in your holiday baking, if you don't already know these secrets, be sure to check them out!

Budget Saver Tip #27: Storage Buckets

A while back we found out about a cheap way to get the buckets we needed for various dry food storage items (like wheat, oats, and beans).  In this way we have been able to provide ourselves with all the buckets we need without paying much money at all.  What we do is go to the bakery at Wal-Mart (and this might apply for other grocery stores as well) and ask if they have any empty buckets they need to get rid of.  More often than not, they do, and they'll sell them to us for a dollar or two each.  Usually we have to clean them free of frosting or "garlic spread" or some other such sticky, processed substance, but once clean and dry, they provide the perfect storage for our dry goods.

Anyone have additional ideas for getting deals on food storage containers?

Neti Revisited

I'm realizing again this year that sometimes it really seems that I have more allergy symptoms in the fall than in the spring.  Can anyone relate?

Not to mention that fall weather brings colds and illnesses to many people--enter more undesirable symptoms.

One way or the other, in order to fend off these undesirables, I'm back to using my neti pot often.  I know some of you use a neti pot also, and I've never heard a negative review from anyone who uses one.  For those of you who haven't taken the plunge yet, if you suffer from allergies, frequent illnesses--particularly sinus infections--or even just live in a dry climate like I do, you really should try neti to improve your overall health.  It's not a big investment and once you get the hang of it (which didn't take me very long) it's totally worth it.

Staying Healthy as Fall Begins

Many of us around the country are beginning to sense the coming of autumn as days shorten and temperatures begin to cool. I have already noticed that with that change of season, people are getting sick--including sniffles already at my house. So I've been thinking about what we should be doing better to prevent illness as much as possible, and looking back at prior posts I've realized how many things I've already written that address this. So I thought I would re-link you to them, in case you need the refresher, like I do:

• My list of 7 things to do to prevent illness

• The healing properties of Echinacea

• How promoting healthy guts improves your immunity

• How using essential oils promotes wellness and healing

• Honey's role in promoting wellness (and its curative properties)

• The importance of adequate sleep to our health

• And even the many health benefits of fasting (If you haven't read this information, you really should--it's quite fascinating!)

Budget Saver Tip #25: Christmas Shopping

The other day I heard a talk show host discussing how Christmas stuff seems to arrive in the stores earlier every year. He was disgusted by it, and so am I. I remember when we didn't used to see Christmas items till right after Thanksgiving (and Thanksgiving didn't get so short-changed), and then right after high school I noticed it arriving with the Halloween decor. Now I see it has already arrived and we're not even to October yet!

I hate the commercialization of Christmas, but I love the season itself, and I always try to make it special for my family, like my mother always made it magical for us. By keeping her eyes peeled for good deals all year round for the next Christmas, my mom was able to make it so that even though we didn't have much money when I was growing up, we always had a generous Christmas. I don't know many people who have their Christmas shopping completed by summer's end (or earlier), like Mom does, but every year I try to do better at following her example. I know I save money when I shop earlier, watching for good deals. Normally she and I both like to do this as we go "yard saling" during the summer. But this summer I wasn't able to go as often as I hoped and when I did go, I didn't find much in the way of Christmas presents.

I'm not willing to waste money on something we don't need or that nobody would want or appreciate--even if it's only $1. And I like my gifts to be thoughtful and appropriate to the person. So lately I have been turning to ebay and etsy. As with anywhere, one has to be careful when shopping online to be sure the item really is a good deal--including shipping--and it takes some searching, comparing, and calculating. But I have recently found some things I felt were very worth purchasing, at prices I felt good about, and it makes me excited to give them.

And it also feels good to know that with this planning ahead, we won't be spending more than we can afford when December rolls around. It's no fun to get behind in your finances just before the new year begins!

Question

Please help!

What summer squash dishes do you make that your children like? I have tried so many recipes, some new, some old favorites, but haven't hit one yet that my kids will eat without complaining. (Except, of course, with zucchini I make zucchini bread and cookies, etc, and they love those.) I don't know why they have this bias--crookneck is so pretty and has a sweet, mild flavor--but I'm guessing it's typical.

So how do you get your kids to eat summer squash?

Freezing Fresh Produce

I have been learning about the proper way to freeze different fresh fruits and vegetables and thought I would share what I've learned so far. (If you already know these things, bear with me. :))

Corn: We have been getting a lot more corn from our garden than our family can possibly eat as corn on the cob, and since most of it ripened at the same time, I thought I would just spend a day canning it. When I was growing up my family never grew corn in our garden, so I had to research to know what to do with it. First of all, I found out that corn is best preserved within 6 hours after it has been harvested. That was certainly not possible in my case; I got to it as soon as I could, but it wasn't that quickly. Secondly, I thought I could just cold pack it like I'm used to, but I found out that corn has to be pressure canned, since it has such low acidity, in order to not grow botulism. We don't have a pressure cooker and I didn't have the motivation or energy to try to locate one to borrow on short notice. So I realized my only other option was to freeze it (and I prefer the taste of frozen corn anyway). I didn't figure there was any trick to freezing corn, but I looked it up anyway and found out that there is more to it than I thought. I figured I could just cut the corn off the cob, throw it in bags, and put it in the freezer. But apparently, the flavor of raw corn loses its quality over a period of only two months, so cooking it beforehand for three or four minutes--called "blanching"--is preferable. It's also important to cool it quickly (in ice water, if possible) right after blanching, so it doesn't become mushy. Then, if you place the corn-filled Ziploc bags flat on a cookie sheet in a single layer, they will freeze better and stack more easily after freezing.

Raspberries: I bought a half-flat of these a couple weeks ago and was in heaven! Eating them was like reliving my childhood, when my mom and siblings and I used to walk over to my great-grandpa's house and pick several loaf-pans full of raspberries at a time. I love eating raspberries as-is, but since we had so many I thought maybe I'd do something different with them as well. But when my cousin gave me a tip on how to freeze them, I decided to try that to save them that way until I knew how I wanted to use them. And I love the result! This is definitely the best way to freeze raspberries: Place a kitchen towel on a cookie sheet and spread the raspberries out on the towel in a single layer. Freeze, then pop the berries off the towel and place them in bag or container. The raspberries freeze individually this way instead of in a big clump, so it's easy to just grab a handful to go with breakfast or whatever you want. Much, much easier!

Peaches: If you need tips on freezing peaches, refer back to this post.

Any others you want to know about or can offer tips on?

Everything You Want to Know About Being Self-Sufficient

One of my cousins reminded me about this book a little while ago, by Carla Emery. It is her favorite book ever, and since she now lives on several acres of land, she's able to put into practice many of the things she has learned from it. I checked it out from the library and have decided I want my own copy. It's such a valuable resource!

While we have just a regular sized yard and therefore can't even have a cow (*sigh*), and while I don't have any desire to completely "rough it" (there's information in here about how to do that too), there are lots of fascinating things to learn about becoming more self-sufficient and living greener. And those are things we can all use!

This book has it all, from growing your own grains to making your own jerky to raising all types of animals. It also has lots of cool recipes for cooking naturally and from scratch. I can't get over what a wealth of information it is!

Brewer's Yeast

I grew up drinking Brewer's Yeast in orange juice and loving it. I don't know if it's one of those things you have to grow up with to like, but I still love it. It just feels good to drink. And I like how it tastes, too. I started drinking it again lately, hoping it will boost my immune system, which is shot after all the antibiotics I had for pneumonia (remember, antibiotics kill the bad bacteria in your gut, but they also kill the good bacteria, which keeps you healthy). After having pneumonia, I developed C-dif, and now am getting over a bad cold. All this in about 5-weeks' time. I am definitely ready to be healthy and strong again!

Brewer's yeast is also called nutritional yeast (the inactive form of yeast) and is chock-full of vitamins and minerals. I had never looked at the nutrition information on Brewer's Yeast, so I was very impressed when I did so the other day and found that it contains a longer list than I care to type here, including amino acids, protein, and the B-complex vitamins. According to the information I found online, many vegans and vegetarians sprinkle it on their food to help them eat a balanced diet.

So you might try it, if you need a boost too. It's certainly worth a try!

The 5 Love Languages of Children

I became acquainted with the five love languages several years ago and learned to identify what my own "love language" is, as well as that of those close to me. When my husband and I were first married, we read one of the love languages books, which we found to be very valuable (and is something I would like to do again).

This book in the picture is the one directed specifically for parents and I recently finished reading it for the second time. I'm so glad I read it again because it helped me re-realize the importance of knowing how each of our children feels love and "speaking" that language. With some children, it's obvious what their love language is--like with my second daughter--and easy to fill up their "love tank." With others, it's not so easy. My oldest is one such child and so re-reading this book helped immensely in pinpointing her love language and what I need to do to fill her love tank. I'm not always good at doing this, but I'm getting better, and it is pretty amazing the difference I see in her behavior and level of contentment when I've spoken her language that day in a way that helps her feel validated.

I've been thinking about this concept a lot lately, and about how interconnected our emotional and physical health are. A person who chronically does not feel appreciated or cared about won't function on as high a level of health and optimum physical performance as someone who does. Of course, we all love our families and want the best for them, and this love languages philosophy is one thing that can make a big difference when put into practice.