Blissfully Domestic

Frugal Links: Kids' Costs

Earlier this week, I posted the first five ways to cut costs associated with rearing children.  Below, I have provided some links related to the suggested areas of saving.

Wholesome Baby Food has age charts, information and tons of recipes for making your own delicious, healthy and cheap baby food.

If you are interested in cloth diapers, but are really clueless as to the whole concept, read Heather's (OMSH) articles published at DiaperPin.  She covers costs, health issues and the environmental impact.

If you have a base knowledge of cloth diapers, but want to know specifics (what kind to buy, how to wash, what about wipes?), check out the Diaper Hyena.

If you are looking for cheaper alternatives to buying new clothes, shoes, toys and books, scan your local Craigslist, Freecycle and the Goodwill auction site.   You can often find larger items such as cribs, pack-n-plays, kid's furniture and playsets on these sites, as well.

Happy Browsing!

Sweet Treat - White Chocolate Banana Bread

White Chocolate Banana Bread is a spin off of regular chocolate banana bread. The only thing that has changed are the flavor of the chips - but oh what a tasty little difference it is!

If you are in a sultry, I gotta eats me some dark chocolate mood -- go with the regular recipe. If you are wanting a change, you have to try out the modified recipe. It is to die for.

White Chocolate Banana Bread
Makes one 9"x5" loaf

3 very ripe bananas
2 tbsp soft butter
1 cup sugar
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips (use semi sweet for Chocolate Banana Bread) and /or coarsely chopped nuts – pecans or walnuts work well (optional) Keep your total amount to 1 cup.

1.Preheat oven to 375°/190°C

2.Mash bananas in a bowl and add rest of the ingredients. Stir just until blended. It seems as if there is not enough liquid but don’t be fooled. The very ripe bananas add all the moisture needed. Mixing the ingredients together with a fork for 2-3 minutes is all you need to create the batter.

3.Pour into greased 9"x5" loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out dry (unless of course you hit a chocolate chip).

4.Cool for 10 minutes on a cake rack before removing from pan.

5.To bake muffins, prepare the batter as above and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400°F/200°C, in center of oven

Ruth's Tips & Variations

-This is a great breakfast or mid day snack. 
-Instead of chocolate chips (or with them, if you prefer) try:
chopped walnuts or pecans
dried cranberries or cherries
-Just make sure these ingredients add up to one cup.  More than that will lose the bread/cake texture.

Recipe from Ruth's amazing cookbook, Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories.

Image and modified recipe from Divine Domesticity.

Do you Etsy?

If you have never been to Etsy, you are in for a treat. Whether you create handmade goods, need a little inspiration to get your own creative mojo going, or just love the idea of owning handcrafted items, you'll find a lot at Etsy to love.

From bags to clothing, jewelry and fine art, finding things to love is half the fun. You can search by the item you are looking for, by things that have just been posted, or showcases with items chosen by other Etsy members.

For the crafter, Etsy offers an inexpensive way to get your items seen by a larger and more focused audience than other sites. Listings are only .20, and there is a 3.5% fee after an item sells. You can involve yourself in the Etsy community by participating in the forums, chats, and blogs devoted to all things Etsy. Even Martha Stewart loves Etsy-she will have a segment on her show February 29th all about it!

We will be featuring Etsy Crafters here once a week. If you would like to see your shop mentioned here, or share your favorite etsy shops, comment here or email me at thecraftychick@gmail.com . 

Financial Peace

For months now, I have been listening to Dave Ramsey’s talk show on our local radio station. His plan for financial freedom sounded so doable and really intrigued me.

The problem was, trying to explain it to my husband. It would all get lost in translation and he was never in the car at the time of Dave’s radio show. So, needless to say, I was beyond thrilled when our church announced that it was offering Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.

I am loving the idea of being debt free and not having to worry about emergencies. When you have some money saved up and set aside, suddenly emergencies aren’t… and those potential stresses just aren’t there any longer…

Sound good to you?

Each week, in this space, I am going to discuss points of the plan and even discuss some of the things that my family is doing to make the necessary changes. This isn't a get rich quick infomercial. It is a plan that requires commitment for the long haul. But the rewards will be huge for our families.

I hope you'll join me as we work towards financial peace.

Yaaaaaaaawn! Sleepy time.

No, I'm not trying to bore you to sleep!  I do, however, want to share with you a few interesting and informative articles about the importance of sleep, and how it is crucial to good health for everyone in your family.  These linkies are not only informative, but chock full of advice that can help ensure you and your family catch some serious Z's!

A few tips for establishing a bedtime routine.

Potential connection between sleep deprivation and hyperactivity.

Fun & interactive site to help you teach your kids about the importance of sleep.

Six reasons why women shouldn't scrimp on sleep, from Harvard's Women Health Watch.

Women and insomnia...helpful hints on how to deal with trouble sleeping.

I'm ready to hit the sack after reading these articles.  Hope you find them useful!