Budget Boot Camp Challenge #10~Go WithOut!

I called this challenge a HUGE success since I have been trying to do this for the past few years. Clair suggested we pick an item our family loves to use and go with it for a week. She suggested getting rid of some of the disposable items in our lives. It not only saves money but also the environment. She suggested baby wipes, ziploc bags, and paper towels. Since I have an intense relationship with all of those items I decided to discuss some other items that we have given up over the past few years instead and how that affected me and my family.

We used to love these little fluffy delights in the shower and tub. Me in particular.... I made me feel like a girl and as though I was giving myself a little extra attention in the shower. However I realized that they are not good for the environment and I get just as much love from my washcloth in the shower.

We also love body washes. I sadly cut most of those out too. The only time I get body wash is if I can get it for free because again the waste from the bottles is bad for the environment.

I stopped using my swiffer mop almost two years ago. I don't miss it. My mom gave me a steamer mop for Christmas and I love it. It has saved me a ton of money. I just use water now!

I also quit using sponges to wash my dishes. I now use a brush or dish clothes.

This week I went without my face wash. I ran out and thought why not go without it and see if I can survive! I did survive I used a Dove bar soap and I also tried an avocado facial and it was perfect. So I saved money and the environment this week.

What are you doing to decrease the use of disposables in your home? Any tips or suggestions are also welcome!!

As always visit our facebook fanpage to see what the other challengers did without this past week.

How to get Urine/Sweat stains out of your Mattress

If you have kids you have pee stains I know it. If you don't lucky you or you are a liar and in denial. I have pee stains on more than one mattress. I also have sweat stains on pillows because well I sweat a.lot . It's a gift I know. I digress. Anyway I have tried many different ways to get urine/pee out of mattresses and I have been very unsuccessful so I did a google search and what do you know? Another mom had pee stains too. So I borrowed her recipe and it totally worked so I am sharing it with you. All you need are these few house-hold ingredients and a spray bottle. I bought a really expensive one (NOT) I used one I had for my kids hair. It worked great. You will need: 3 Tablespoons Baking Soda 8 ounces Hydrogen peroxide 1 drop dish soap Mix together well and use right away. My mom discovered that if it is not mixed well the baking soda will clog the sprayer. You also can't store this apparently it doesn't last in the bottle and it is no longe

Master Bedroom Makeover Board and Batten

I highly recommend a few items although you don't HAVE to have them it just makes this project go so much faster. I bought a pancake compressor with three nail guns included saved me on this project and a miter saw. I bought both from Home Depot and they didn't pay me to say that it is just where I happen to shop. I actually had this all measured out and went to Home Depot and they cut the mdf primed boards for me. However I later purchased the miter saw and was then able to cut things right here at my house. The nail gun I used is a 16 gauge gun that can shoot nails up to 3 inches. I used a 2.5 inch nail to cover the thickness of the board and wall. Ok so I recommend deciding how you want your boards spaced first and measure and mark on the wall where you want them. I tried to do every 16 inches because that is how far apart my studs were but then I realized my wall wasn't an even length and so I have some that look a little off on the ends. Lesson learned

Wordless Wednesday

Go on over to 5MinutesforMom for more Wordless Wednesday posts and join in!!

Rudy Family Rukus~Parenting tips and humor meet in one big "rukus"

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