The 12 Most Popular Posts from The Creative Cheapskate

 The Creative Cheapskate turns one today

Last week I turned 70. Today my blog turned one!  Yesterday I posted on 10 simple ways to improve your life with very little effort.  Number 9 relates to this blog---except the "with very little effort" part!

I have learned a lot over this past year. I hope that my learning to blog has helped you with the "ings" of
your life ---- child-rearing (hints and helps), homemaking (all areas), cooking (simple, cheap and do-it-yourself), making (toys and gifts), preparing (for the unexpected), maintaining (sanity and peace in this increasingly crazy world) ---- all aspects of making the most of making do on little, and having fun in the process!

I am still learning, and this week I  learned that my blog statistics lists the number of visits to each of my posts.  This was an amazing and fun discovery. Here are the top 12.

1. Rocking Horse Cake without special pan
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/simple-rocking-horse-cake-to-make.html

2. Make Your Own Windex and Shout
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/make-your-own-windex-and-shout.html

3. What If . . .  Dry Milk --- When the Grocery Shelves are Empty
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/11/2-what-if-dry-milk-when-grocery-shelves.html

4. Simple Teddy Bear Cake without special Pan
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/simple-teddy-bear-cake-wo-special-pan.html

5. Peanut Butter Cookies Can't Get Much Easier Than This
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/09/peanut-butter-cookies-cant-get-much.html

6. How to Creatively Garden in Bits and Pieces
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-creatively-garden-in-bits-and.html

7. Do-it-Yourself Barrette Holders for Gift Giving
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/10/diy-barrette-holders-for-gift-giving.html

8. Cob Corn in Nature's Own Microwaveable Shake-and-Eat Packaging
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2012/04/cob-corn-in-natures-own-microwaveable.html

9. Homemade Olive Oil Lamps: Safe, Cheap and Quick to Make . . .
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/09/homemade-olive-oil-lamps-safe-cheap-and.html

10. Buyer Be Wiser: The Latest Scoop
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/09/homemade-olive-oil-lamps-safe-cheap-and.html

11. Make 5 Great Meals With Only Two Pounds of Ground Beef
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/make-5-great-meals-with-only-two-pounds.html

12. More Copy-Cat Candy Bars
http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-copy-cat-candy-bars.html

These "most visited" posts tell me a lot about my readers.  When I started learning how to blog my guide was appropriately, Google Blogger for Dummies! Several portions of this book teach

• ways, sneaky and otherwise, to increase your readership, i.e. words to use in titles, etc.
• how to make money, by inviting advertising, on your blog.
• to use your statistics to determine what you should blog about.

These suggestions are probably good for others---but not for me.  Yes, I am excited to see the numbers of readers grow but I am excited because I take that to mean I am able to help others.  That was and still remains my goal.  I started married life saying just what Sgt. Shultz on the old Hogan's Heroes TV show used to say: http://www.hark.com/clips/stcglgpcfd-i-know-nothing
and the learning curve was, out of necessity, steep. 

The above 12 most visited posts "tells" me that I should concentrate on cooking (recipes). Still, I will continue as I have covering all the "ings"  and hope I continue to provide help for many.

Since Anything Can Happen to Disrupt Everything . . .

I have one request.  If you do not follow the posts under my "What If..." tab, please check them out. We live in uncertain times and things don't seem to be getting better. Anything can happen to disrupt everything.  And "it" can happen in an instant---personally, regionally, nationally...  Being prepared for sudden events brings great peace of mind. Just like insurance, you hope you never need to use it but it is helpful to have. . . just in case.

Thanks for coming along for the ride this past year. I hope you want to stay on board.

I remain
         Simply, Gail

10 Simple Ways to Improve Your Life . . . with very little effort!

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them----that's what they're paid for!


2. Hang out with only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.


3. Enjoy the simple things (but you must learn to recognize them)!

4. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.


5. Accept that tears happen. Endure, grieve, and then move on. The only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves. Be alive while you are alive.


6. Surround yourself with what you love whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies or whatever. Your home is your refuge.


7. Cherish your health. If it is good preserve it. If it is unstable improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve get help---and then, make the best you can of it.


8. Take a trip --- to the mall, the next county, a foreign country, or wherever but --- never take a guilt trip.


9. Keep learning about anything you choose: computers, crafts, gardening, golf or whatever. Keep your brain engaged. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop," and the devil's name is Alzheimer's.


10. Remember to tell the people you love that you love them. We never know when it will be too late.

What If . . . you consider going Back to the Basics?

If you have not read my previous post please do so first.
It is the introduction to this one.

1. You will save lots of money --- first on pads for menstruation and by the time you have finished that stage,  if you are like me and millions of other women, you have entered what I refer to as the laughing-sneezing-coughing-leaking stage of life!

2. You would do your part for our landfill problem --- "The average woman will throw away 15000 sanitary pads and tampons over her lifetime. That adds up to about 12 billion pads and 7 million tampons yearly in North America (alone)."
http://groovymama.net/blog/


 "More than half and some say as high percentage as 80% use some sort of incontinence product. There are adult diapers, absorbent pads and a variety of products in between. If we estimate only 2 items used daily over a 15 year period, that comes to 10,950 items per person from 65 years- 80 years of age."
http://www.naturopathscottsdale.com/2012/02/

and, what was news to me

3. You will be safe-guarding your health --- Although we don't hear about it much "Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is still a risk for anyone using tampons. The risk is much higher with disposable products. This is why they are required to warn you on the label and on the instruction sheet inside the box. Experts agree that TSS is under-reported, despite the fact that all states are required to report all cases."

"Despite the bleached white appearance, tampons and pads are not sterile. They are not sterilized - no disposable menstrual products are sterile.

"The FDA does not require disposable menstrual pad users to list the ingredients on the label so you do not know exactly what chemicals are being placed against your sensitive and absorbant tissues for several days each month."

http://www.comfyclothpads.com/

What started out to be one simple post (as the result of my discomfort and a Wal-Mart discovery*)  has certainly evolved!

Personal Confessions of Simply, Gail

I do sneeze-cough-and definitely laugh regularly. . . therefore I, uhmmm leak.  I hate putting out the money for incontinence products but more importantly they make me ITCH "down there!" 

No matter how thick it is or how much I pay for it---toilet paper SHREDS!

The internet is an amazing tool --- often with TooMuchInformation! And, we have a filter that blocked some of the sites. Searching the internet I discovered. . .

•  I am definitely NOT ALONE!
• Many women suffer much more serious problems than itching.
• The products themselves, it is being discovered, cause/increase many problems, including increased cramping during periods and increased discharge the rest of the time --- naturally the manufacturer's won't admit it.   

I discovered the new trend toward "homemade" supplies you can buy on line --- if, like the days of the early commercial products --- you can afford them. While there are many offerings, I'll get you started with a couple of examples and you can take it from there:

Retro Rags™ pad measures approximately 14" long by 4.5" wide and is designed for overnight usage with heavy flow or postpartum usage, or plus size women.  $8.00 each

The Committed to Cloth Pad Stash Reusable Set of 24 $128.00

The first site I came across for DIY products is the HillbillyHousewife. 

 http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/sanitarypads.htm

Admittedly my first thought was "yuck!"  But later thought "why not" and made a few. Most of the pre-made pads on line seem to be patterned after those on the hillbilly site, although there are variations.  

http://diy-pads.livejournal.com/45190.html

http://lunapads.com/tips-and-advice/lunapads-overview/ 

Because I am simple and cheap  my favorite site is 

http://www.biblicalscholarship.net/menses.htm

This site has the most simple ones---but I simplified them further. 

* And, here is where Wal-Mart comes in:

They sell packs of 18 100% cotton, wight, light-weight washcloths for $4.00. Folded into thirds, they work out perfect for me. (The more you wash them the softer they become, but even after one wash they work for me---but do not use fabric softener because it decreased absorbency.) These washcloths are not huge but I am a plus-size woman and they are plenty long enough. 

The cost is 22 cents per washcloth pad. 


You can also use old towels and washcloths---free and already soft!

The pads on the site were stitched to stay pre-folded but I decided they might be more useful (especially for washing and drying purposes) flat. 

At the same store they had soft 45-inch-wide print flannel on clearance sale for $2.25 per yard.  I bought one yard and began experimenting. I cut a few rectangles the size of the folded washcloth and using a tight zig-zag stitch, sewed a piece down the center of the washcloth. On some I sewed it  along one side (eliminating the need to be precisely in the middle) of the washcloth.  Not only does this give you an extra layer of protection but folded with the flannel side up provides a softer pad. 

I also cut and zig-zagged the edges of squares of flannel and folded them into thirds to use as pads instead of the washcloths. They worked also.  

If you need a heavy pad you can layer a flannel square on a washcloth and fold the pair into thirds.

With close-fitting underwear these stay in place really well.  I feel the little bit of readjusting that might need to be made after going to the bathroom is well worth the effort. If you want added "security"  make a small loop of masking tape.   I also read that if you make the bottom section fleece, it will not move around any and it is waterproof. I haven't  checked those claims out yet. I would not put the fleece against your body because it is synthetic rather than 100 percent cotton.

Toilet Paper Replacement 

My research uncovered the following: the average sheet of toilet paper is 4x4 inches and that 5.9 sheets, on the average, are used each time.

I decided to cut another package of white wash cloths in half to use as toilet paper after urinating. A half cloth was too large. I couldn't imagine  1/4 would be enough but it is perfect. A simple blot does the job.  


Not being too precise, I cut each washcloth into fourths and used a tight zig-zag stitch around the two unfinished edges. The cut edges will shed when cutting and for the first couple of washings.

18 washcloths for $4.00 makes 72 reusable wipes at 5.5 cents each!

I toss both the pads and the squares in a covered container under the sink. On wash day I simply empty them into a large mesh bag to launder.

I guess I am another generation of tween.  Not old enough to have gone with the flow using rags but too old to have known about making my own pads during my productive years. 

The economy, as well as the horrible things we are learning daily about how what we eat (and now what we use) are created/manufactured, is making us think twice and---make changes.

What we once innocently thought of as “disposable” is in reality pollution, and what we once accepted as “sanitary,”for our most personal purposes, we are learning are not only without guidelines, but with problems---from relatively minor to deadly toxicity!

What If. . . I dared discuss feminine hygiene products?

Brand names often become unofficially the 

 “official” name of a product.

Gelatin is Jello
Adhesive bandages are Band-Aids

Sanitary pads are Kotex

 Last November, before I was as old as I am now,  I posted my version of "When I Am Old. . ."  If you care, you can check it out: 

http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011_11_20_archive.html

Today is my birthday.  Today I am 70! Being that old gives me the right to discuss unmentionables if I feel like it ----- and I do.

When I was a young girl you would think I was created in two sections.  Section one was my head and everything below my mother always delicately referred to as "my body."

I thought she was weird. 

As I was preparing this blog I decided I needed to do some research and it was very enlightening.  For one, I discovered my mother wasn't the only weird one. Here is another:

"I got my period at the age of 11 when I was in fifth grade. This involved wearing an uncomfortable belt of stretch elastic which had even more uncomfortable metal gadgets with teeth in front and back to grab the “tails” of the bulky sanitary pads. Having any part of this contraption show through one’s clothing was unthinkably embarrassing, and we would pile multiple petticoats under our voluminous circle skirts to hide any accidents. 

"My mother was so leery of anyone hearing her mention the word “Kotex” that when she made a shopping list, she would write that word in the Gregg’s shorthand she had learned in secretarial school."

Speaking of accidents, let's go back further and discover the "first" accident.

• Disposable menstrual pads grew from Benjamin Franklin's invention designed to save soldiers with buckshot wounds

• In 1916, Kimberly Clark began concentrating on creped wadding paper. This was five times more absorbent than cotton and could cost half as much. With the war in Europe provoking cotton shortages, Kimberly Clark developed creped cellulose for use as a filter in gas masks and bandages.

• Disposable pads had their start with nurses using these wood pulp bandages to catch their menstrual flow.

Marketing!

Society’s prim attitudes made it difficult to market sanitary napkins and  turn-of-the-century morality  made advertising of the product impossible.

In 1920, Kimberly Clark, worried about their image, organized a different company to market Kotex just in case it failed. 

The ads that accompanied the introduction of this consumer good would set the tone for the next century. They were expensive for the "common" woman. Print ads for Kotex featured women from high society, often wearing evening gowns, always white, with copy that read, “Eighty percent of all women in better walks of life have adopted this scientific way.” 

By 1925 the product was beginning to gain acceptance. Finally, in 1926 Montgomery Ward advertised Kotex in their catalogue and millions of women began to use and accept sanitary napkins as a way of life.

The Plain Brown Wrapper  

When they could afford them, women were allowed to place money in a box so that they would not have to speak to the clerk and take a box of pads from the counter themselves. A small card sat in front of the wrapped boxes, stating 60 cents for 12 napkins. 

Apparently when the Modess brand arrived on the scene, the package included a card you could present to the clerk for your next purchase so you did not have to speak the unspeakable.  The card also suggested you seek out a female clerk for the transaction.

When I was young the packages had made their way to the regular store shelves but they were still cloaked in plain wrappers. 

We've obviously come a long way and it has been wonderful. But (doesn't there always seems to be a but?) our comfort and ease comes at a high dollar cost, the huge expense of trees and many other "ingredients"; the landfills, and possibly our health. There are reports of chemical reactions from the many chemicals included in their production.


Continued next Tuesday's post . . .

Back to the Basics


I am Simply, Gail and so once again, I must apologize for some of these sentences  showing up with a white background. I have not a clue as to why it is happening or how to fix it.

"What If. . . You are not prepared when a disaster strikes?

If you are a regular reader you know I often stress the need for preparedness.  If you are new to this blog, you are soon to find out for yourself.  

Many things can happen that will cause us to suddenly (and often immediately) become self-reliant---job loss, weather-related events, strikes, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, economic uncertainty . . .

Being prepared is best practiced as a way of life, not just waiting for a doom and gloom situation. Reference literature, knowledge, supplies and other essentials will not insulate us from hard times but will help cushion the blows of hard times. Practice will prevent waste---of time, effort and commodities.

In the January/February 2012 issue of Backwoods Home Magazine Patrice Lewis has an article on
The 7 Core Areas of Preparedness.

She states "The subject of preparedness is so massive that I can barely scratch the surface in a single article, but it's a start."  And a great start, or refresher, it is!

I highly recommend you read the entire article. Your time will be well spent.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/lewis133.html

The 7 Core Areas of Preparedness are: 
1. Food (and the means to prepare it)*
2. Water*
3. Heat
4. Light*
5. Sanitation*
6. Medical*
7. Safety*

* I have individual posts, along with simple, cheap and creative how-to's, on each of the * subjects under my "What If . . .?" tab.  


I have read there are three types of people in this world:

1. Those who make things happen
2. Those who watch things happen
3. And those who wonder what happened

Healthy & Low Fat Oatmeal Bars and More . . .

continuing from Tuesday's post---


This recipe was recently given to me by a friend. These chewy bars are nutritious, filling and low-fat. And they can be adapted easily to your likes and dislikes. They freeze well and are handy to have on hand for healthy snacking. The ingredients list looks long but it goes together quickly and simply and there is a good chance you already have everything in your pantry. 

Fruity Oatmeal Bars


3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
One 8-ounce container vanilla or plain low-fat yogurt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 T vegetable oil
2 T skim milk
2 tsp vanilla


1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt (optional)


3 cups old fashioned or quick oats, uncooked
1 cup diced dried mixed fruit, raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or other nuts


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In large bowl combine first seven ingredients and mix well.
3. In another bowl, thoroughly combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
4. Stir in the oats, fruit and nuts.
5. Spread mixture in a 9x13 pan that has been lightly prepared with cooking spray/ or oil.  
6. Bake 28-32 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on wire rack. 


Cut into bars. Store tightly covered or freeze.


For more of our favorite oatmeal goody recipes, check out last Tuesday's post and 


Yummy Hearty Breakfast Cookies  http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/09/hearty-breakfast-cookies-healthy-send.html


No-Bake Chocolate/Peanut Butter/Oatmeal cookies http://thecreativecheapskate.blogspot.com/2011/09/eggs-are-2-dozen-making-treats-wo-them.html

'til we eat again,
          Simply, Gail

Make Healthy/Yummy No-Bake Granola and more . . . in Minutes

When you hear Granola do you automatically think "healthy?" 


Think again.


While there are a variety of commercial granola in the stores, many are loaded with fats and high fructose corn syrup. Health-food stores sell many different types of "natural" granola, usually much healthier
and . . . usually quite expensive.

Years ago I made it from a-then-favorite-recipe but it was not the healthiest----plus you had to bake it, (and stir it every 15 minutes!)  for an hour.

We have a new favorite (which is Dave's very favorite!!!).  While it is not "guilt-free" the fats and sweeteners do not top the list of ingredients.  Additionally it is quick and easy and, for this time of year, not needing to turn on the oven is a huge plus.  Today's forecast is 106 degrees!

No-Bake Granola

1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup butter
2 Tablespoons honey
1/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
cinnamon to taste

1/2 cup chopped nuts, as desired.  (I usually add a variety and more than called for)
1/3 cup dried cranberries (Again, I usually add more)

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the oats, stirring constantly until the oats just start to brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.  This is the only tricky part of the recipe---watch carefully as they can burn quickly! Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet*  to cool.

In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir int he honey and brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly for a couple of minutes, until bubbly.  Stir in the nuts and cranberries. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Mixture will be sticky and moist. Pour it all back onto the cookie sheet, spread it out and allow to cool.  It will dry and become crispy as it cools. Break it up as needed and store in an airtight container.


*Note: I use a sheet of parchment paper to line the cookie sheet. This makes it easy to lift up each side of the paper and "funnel" the granola back to the pan, and later to the storage container.

Sometimes I add other dried fruits.
Sometimes I leave the nuts out completely because we have a grandson who is allergic to them.
Sometimes I add coconut along with the nuts and fruit,  
Sometimes I add dried banana pieces at the end of the cooking time.
Sometimes we top it with fresh banana slices or frozen blueberries. 
Always, you can make it to suit yourself and your family!




but, There is more to oats than breakfast cereal!
Even. . .
Smoothies
I frequently make smoothies for a quick breakfast-on-the-go or healthy snack. As with most everything you make yourself, the ingredients can be as varied as your imagination, what your pantry holds, or your individual likes, needs, and/or dislikes. No matter the flavor or combination I also add about 1/3 cup oatmeal (per two servings) because oats are high in protein, vitamins B1, B2, and E.
You can't taste them but you can "feel" them a little bit; kinda like strawberry seeds.


Old-fashioned Oatmeal Pancakes
Mix up a batch of this batter and keep it in the frig----at the ready for a quick stick-to-your-ribs breakfast.
This is a favorite of even those who do not care for regular pancakes. If there are left-overs we even like them plain to snack on.

2 cups regular or quick rolled oats
4 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk*
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

"Old Fashioned" Method:
In a large bowl combine the oats and buttermilk, stirring until well-blended. Cover and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, add all other ingredients and stir well. Spoon batter, about 1/3 cup per pancake, onto griddle and spread out a little. Cook, turning over once, until golden.


"New Fashioned" Method:
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until well blended. Proceed as above.

Notes: 
Batter will be thick. If you wish, you may add a little more milk.
Refrigerate remaining batter and use within a four or five days.
*Instead of commercial buttermilk you can substitute by combining 2/3 cups powdered milk, 2 cups warm water and 2 teaspoons vinegar.

Again, oats are a great and cheap source of protein and can be added in (even "snuck" in) with many other ingredients in a variety of ways.  I'll continue with oats on Friday.  


'til we eat again,

            Simply, Gail

P.S. I have NO idea why parts of the blog are highlighted. I can't figure out what I did to cause it and I can't find how to undo it.