Check out my tutorial on how you can create a very special, meaningful gift for the special dad(s) in your life. I completed this all within a few hours.
Don’t forget to 
Tag: save money
Make Your Own Party Invitations
I decided that I would throw Kelsey a one-year birthday party. Instead of buying my invitations on Walmart.com, like I did for her baby shower, I designed them myself online…for free.
Check out my video if you would like to create your own invitations as well!
Don’t forget to 
I hope this helps!
Make Your Own Laundry Detergent
When I first saw a post about making your own laundry detergent I thought for sure that it would take forever. Luckily, I decided to try it out anyway. I was pleasantly surprised that making my own detergent is super easy! Not only that, but it saves me and my family money throughout the year.
I bought all of the supplies for roughly $21.00 at Walmart (before tax). The mixture usually lasts me about 4-5 months (it will last different periods depending on the amount you use per load).
If you want to save too, watch my video, and see how easy it really is to make your own detergent.
Here’s what you need:
– an empty, air tight container
– 3 Fels Naptha laundry bars
– 55 oz. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
– 4 lb. Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
– 18 oz. Purex Crystals container
– 4 lb. Borax
– 3.25 lb. All Free & Clear Laundry Booster (or 3 lb. OxyClean Versatile Stain Remover)
Here’s what you do:
Grate the three Fels Naptha laundry bars into your container, add complete packages of other ingredients and mix well. Keep container covered when not in use to prevent moisture from building up.
That’s it! I hope this helps!
DIY Glass Cleaner
Now that I have Kelsey in the house, I’m a little more cognizant of the chemicals and cleaners that I use. I started making my own glass cleaner and I love it. It’s super easy to make, it doesn’t have a strong smell like some of the other formulas I’ve tried, and of course…it’s inexpensive. Try it out! 
Here’s what you need:
– clean spray bottle
– 2 cups of warm water
– 1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
– 1/4 cup white vinegar
– 1 TBSP corn starch
– a few drops of essential oil (optional)
Here’s what you do:
1. Use a bowl to mix all of your ingredients.
2. Stir it all together well.
3. Funnel it into a clean spray bottle. You can find these at Dollar Tree, or you can just re-use one you already have in the house. 
*** I used tea tree essential oil this time and I ended up not liking the smell too much. So, I added a tablespoon of lemon juice and that made it smell amazing. When I made this formula in the past, I skipped the essential oils altogether and I still loved it. ***
I hope this helps!
Did you make it? I would love to see. Tag me on Instagram or Twitter with a pic!
Easily Make Your Own Foaming Soap
I was really excited when I went to Dollar Tree yesterday and saw foaming soaps. Not because I wanted to buy foaming soap, but because I really wanted the dispensers for my DIY soap. When I looked online to buy foaming dispensers some of them were upwards of $15. I really didn’t want to spend that much so I was thrilled when I realized I could buy some for a few bucks and just reuse them.
Making hand soap is really easier than you might think. All you need is liquid castile soap and water. I like to use Dr. Bronner’s, but most brands will do (you can get a 32 oz bottle for roughly $16 on Amazon). They come in several fragrances. The one I have currently is lemon. You can also add essential oils to make the soap more fragrant, but for me the lemon scent is usually enough.
Here’s what you need:
– Water (you may want to use distilled water, or boil it first)
– Liquid Castile Soap
– Essential Oil (optional)
– Olive Oil (optional)
Here’s what you do:
1. Fill your foam soap dispenser with about 1/8-1/3 castile soap (depending on the concentration you like).
2. Add water to almost top.
3. Add about 1 TBSP of olive oil (This makes the soap feel a little more moisturizing. Just know that if you add olive oil, it will settle at the top of the soap. If you are using a clear dispenser it won’t look pretty…but it will work well.)
4. Add about 10-20 drops of essential oil depending on the size of your dispenser.
That’s it!
Now you have natural, safe, easy, affordable foaming hand soap. I have had one bottle of liquid castile soap for several months now, so it is definitely worth the money in the long run.
Did you try this? If you did, I would love to see it. Tag me on Twitter or Instagram with a pic!
I hope this helps!
New Ways to Save Money Using Your iPhone
I love using my iPhone to organize my life, takes videos, pictures, shop, and save money. Although I still love my coupons that come in the Sunday newspaper, I have also started using some iPhone applications to rack up even more money and rebates. I wanted to share these with you so that you can save right along with me!
The first app that I love is the Walmart Savings Catcher. This app lets you scan your Walmart receipts into a database that compares the items you bought to the same ones at other stores in 
your area. If a lower price is found for any item, Walmart will give you the money back in Walmart Bucks. This is probably my favorite savings app right now.
Watch my YouTube video about some of my other favorite iPhone apps.
My next favorite app is called Shopkick. This app gives you “kicks” from doing things like walking into a store, scanning products, 
and making purchases. As you accrue kicks, you are offered to redeem them for certain rewards. For example you can get a Starbucks gift card, a Kitchen Aid appliance, or even a television! Obviously each reward requires a different amount of kicks. I’m going for the gold! I changed my reward to that TV. Hopefully I’ll get there one day.
Next, are the apps Ibotta and Checkout 51. They both allow you 
to upload receipts from various stores for items listed in their databases and give you money back on an online account. Then, you can cash out onto a Paypal, venmo account, or you can use your money for gift cards to popular stores. These two apps are my favorite for rebates because they include items and brands that my family uses on a regular basis.
If you like Target, Cartwheel is a great app for you. They offer virtual coupons for a lot of items available in the store. What’s cool about this app is that you don’t have to scan each individual barcode. You just add the items to a list that you are going to purchase, then when you get to the checkout, the cashier only has to scan the barcode once and all of your discounts will be accounted for.
If you like discovering less mainstream brands, or are big on organic, gluten free, and specialty foods then you should check out Jingit, Berrycart, Shopmium, and Shrink. They are all based on pretty much the same concept: shop for the brands they recognize, and receive money back.
These apps have made saving money a little easier for me. What apps do you use?
Hope this helps!
Alternatives to Birth Classes
I wanted to take a birth class when I was pregnant with my baby girl. The only issue was that my hospital did not offer free classes, my insurance wouldn’t pay for it, and the cost was pretty high. If the facility you are delivering at offers these courses free-of-charge then I say sign up quick! One, because they tend to fill up fast, and two, because I was under the assumption that all birthing classes were free at a hospital and was pretty shocked when I found out they were not.
So, I had to come up with another plan. Regardless of what method you use, I would say that it’s pretty important to become informed about what goes on doing labor and delivery if you have not given birth before.
I searched online to see if I could find someone or something that would help ease my nerves about what I was getting myself into. I came across some virtual birthing classes which seemed like a great idea, but soon realized they were pretty pricey as well. I know I keep mentioning cost. It wouldn’t have been such a big deal to pay for these classes, except for the fact that we were spending a significant amount of money on essential items we would need for the baby and didn’t particularly have a budget for the unexpected birth education fund.
I’m also not a person that necessarily needs to physically be around others to learn effectively (I learn by reading, mainly). Anyway, I came across a birthing video by Sheri Bayles. It’s called Laugh and Learn About Childbirth. This DVD was extremely thorough. My husband and I watched it over about a week in the comfort of our own home, and we actually felt prepared for the birth of our daughter. Also, the instructor’s teaching style is relaxed and at times funny. She also has a great DVD about breastfeeding. I got them both used on Amazon.com for very reasonable prices. 
This video was a lifesaver because I ended up having a C-section. Because I learned from this DVD, I knew what to expect and even had some things already packed that were really essential after having a cesarean.
So, if for some reason you cannot get into a physical birth class a DVD works well. In most areas, there are also home help services that you can contact that will have an instructor come to you and teach you some of the basics so that you don’t feel completely lost. Contact your local health department to see if you qualify.
So, that’s how I learned what to expect during delivery and it went very well because I was informed.
How did you educate yourself about labor and delivery?
Fitness for the Stay-at-Home Mom
I don’t go to the gym [waits for gasps]. Not because I don’t want to, or don’t like to, but because the gyms in my area don’t have daycare services. Now that it’s getting warmer I’m sure Kelsey and I will start to get back outside for our daily walks. But when it’s cold out, or I need a change, I turn to the tried and true living room fitness routine.
For decades people have been utilizing videos (remember VHS?) and DVDs to stay in shape without having to spend hours away at the gym. I still have several DVDs that I turn to when I want to kick up my fitness regime, but there are also a lot of other options that the Millennial mom can use that are a little more tech-savvy.
I use my Amazon account to purchase workout videos. I love pretty much any Jillian Michaels trainings, as well as yoga, and there are several of the most popular ones available for immediate streaming online. The possibilities are endless and you have the ability to try out various exercises to prevent your workouts from getting boring.
With my Chromecast, it’s easy to just log on to my Amazon account, play one of my videos and stream it directly to my TV. But there are even more options for mommies who can’t get to the gym but want to keep their bodies looking put together.
(((Check out my YouTube video about how we ditched cable for good and saved $1,000.)))
Daily Burn is a fairly new program that allows you to stream different workouts to any device, like your phone, tablet, TV, etc. You can search the workouts by length, type, and body zones. They are offering a 30 day free trial which I am considering taking advantage of. If I do, I will be sure to update you with how it goes.
There’a also the FitBit, which is a watch-like device that calculates everything from the amount of steps you take, floors you climb, and even how well you sleep! Talk about thorough! Then, it will wirelessly sync all of your information so you can access it anywhere. So, it can tell you how many calories you burn per day while carrying your little one(s) up and down the stairs, and tossing them in the air. I know I have probably shed a few pounds just doing those simple things with Kelsey.
You don’t have to pay for videos at all though. If you search YouTube you can usually find a generous amount of free, good quality workouts there as well.
With all of the options at your fingertips now, it’s so much easier for stay-at-home mommies to continue to enjoy getting their exercise in. It’s not just to lose weight. Working out helps improve your energy, your mental abilities, and it helps you sleep better at night (but it won’t help your infant sleep through the night…sorry).
What do you do to stay fit as a SAHM? I would love to know! 🙂
© Shavonda Simmons and Nifty Mahogany Mom.com, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Shavonda Simmons and Nifty Mahogany Mom.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.#naptimeworkout
Small Organizational Habits That Make a BIG Difference
I often get intimidated when I read posts about women who have binders filled with printouts and information that they use to keep their homes and family organized on a weekly basis. I say: more power to them! That is an awesome feat. I, on the other hand, have yet to become A+ certified in sticking consistent to the paper, pencil, binder set-up. I do want to accomplish a lot more when it comes to getting my home in order though. For example, I really want to finally get my linen closet all neat and tidy so I can stop rolling up fitted sheets and shoving them in there [quite literally]. Who knows how to fold a fitted sheet?! I also want to create a more useful space in my home office area where it doesn’t look like a paper tornado touched down. A girl has to have ambitions, doesn’t she?
I am, however, well on my way toward becoming a more organized manager of my home, and I have started with some little habits that have really helped me to keep a handle on things.
1. Make a Coin Jar. I know this may seem like a trivial piece of advice. But think about all the loose change that ends up around your house in places it shouldn’t be — the couch, the counter, the dresser, etc. If there is a designated container for all of your family’s loose change, you will know exactly where those spares should go and they will be less likely to make a mess. I remember when I was younger my father would always keep change in jars. One particular bank my parents owned was a 3 foot tall pink pig (yes, you read that right) and it was always filled with pennies. When my brother was a toddler my mom would sit it at the entrance to the kitchen to keep him out while she was cooking because he was terrified of it. Can you blame him? [I wonder if they still have that thing.] Often, they would roll their change and cash it in at the bank. I always remembered that, and the change does come in handy when you fill the jar and take it to your local CoinStar machine. It doesn’t hurt to save space and save a little money at the same time. It’s always fun to see how much money you have accumulated. It’s also a good lesson to teach your little ones about the importance of saving and how a little bit along the way adds up.
2. Create a Drop-Off Location. My husband and I were always on a mad dash around the house looking for our keys, and him looking for his work badge. A simple solution to this is to create a spot at the entrance to your home where keys, wallets, badges, etc. can be placed. This way, you will always know where your important “to-go” items are and aren’t driving yourself crazy every time you have to leave.
3. Make meal plans and create shopping lists. One of the best things that I started doing was planning out my family’s meals for the week. This helped me so much because it eliminated that mundane “What’s for dinner?” issue that we used to have every night. If you take 30 minutes a week and decide what you want to make for the next 7 days, it will also make it a lot more simple to create a grocery list that won’t have you running back to the store every other day because you forgot items, or because you shop for only one or two meals at a time. This will put your mind at ease, and allow you to devote more time and energy to other tasks that you want to tackle.
I love using Food.com (and the app) for my meal planning. It’s super easy! You can browse through a ton of recipes, add them to your personal database, and the program with generate a detailed grocery list for you! Then all you have to do is print it out, or use it right from your phone and check off items while you shop.
Check out the video of my favorite iPhone apps for planning and organizing shopping trips.
4. Use a white board. I’m the type of person that needs to write things down when I first think of them. I purchased a magnetic white board from Walmart and put it on my refrigerator. Now, when I see that we are out of something I can immediately write it down. Then, when I’m making my grocery list, I can just glance at the board and ensure that I am getting essential items while I am out. I also use my board to remind myself of things I need to do, and of the meals that I have planned for the week (because sometimes I forget what I had planned and I’m looking at the ingredients I purchased like o_0). Don’t judge me. That’s why I need the board.
5. Create a family/household calendar. This can be done manually with a paper calendar, but I like to use an electronic version because I don’t really like having any extra paper around. In fact, one of my organizational goals for this year is to become a paperless household. Anyway, we use Outlook. com and I created a “Family Calendar” that is shared with my husband. So, if Kelsey has a doctor appointment, we need to go out of town, or certain bills are due, I can put them on the calendar and the system will automatically send him email updates/reminders so he can stay informed about what’s going on (plus you can add cute charms to each entry). We love this system and use it all the time. It has become a habit for us.
6. Use a cleaning schedule/chart. There are many websites where you can download free cleaning charts. This has helped me a lot because it allows me to break down the large task of keeping my house clean into smaller cleaning objectives for each day. This way, even if I forget to do something, I am sure to get back around to the task even if it’s done the next week. For example, I forgot to dust last week but I let my laundry get backed up so I had to focus on that. Instead of freaking out because I didn’t dust, I just reminded myself that on that upcoming Monday, I would need to go back and dust. Now I don’t feel the pressure to get the whole house sparkling every day. I do a little at a time and my house stays tidy.
7. Do basic budgeting. Even if you haven’t conquered Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace program fully yet, it’s still important to at least track how your money is being used each month. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Most of us want to be very proficient in organizing our finances. That’s a great goal. But, if you aren’t completely there yet doing something is better than doing nothing. My husband and I do budgets each month using a simple Excel spreadsheet. This allows us to get a good view of what we will have left over after all essential expenses have been accounted for. What’s even better about using Excel online (through Outlook.com) is that we can share this file with each other so he can access it even when he is not home. That brings me to the next organizational habit we have started implementing.
8. Use an online system for picture storage and file sharing. OneDrive is an essential part of keeping my household organized. We use OneDrive to store all of our treasured photos and we also use it to share files between one another (like our Excel budget spreadsheets). I love the fact that I can access my files from anywhere and we can stay on top of important documents for our household. There are other file-sharing systems out there. Just find the one that works best for your family.
That’s it! Those are some of the small things that I have started doing that help me keep my household at least somewhat organized and running effectively. I still try to get better every day, but I give myself kudos for coming this far.
What organizational habits do you have in your home? Share the knowledge! 😉
I hope this helps!
© Shavonda Simmons and Nifty Mahogany Mom.com, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Shavonda Simmons and Nifty Mahogany Mom.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
We Ditched Cable For Good
As you probably know by now, I am all about saving my family money in as many ways as possible. Our cable bill has been something that we have wanted to cut down for a long time. After much procrastination, we finally decided to pull the plug completely on our cable connection.
Our bill had gotten up to around $170 per month and to top it all off our service was sub-par. Often our On Demand service would not work and it left us seething since we were shelling out so much money. Not to mention the fact that most of the time we watched programming that is already available on the internet for free. So, we figured it was time to make a significant shift. We had to come up with a better solution.
We still needed access to the web of course. So, we kept our provider, but decreased our plan to have just internet. This made our bill a lot lower per month, about $60.
After researching several options we decided to try a few things. We signed up for the free trial subscriptions to Netflix and Amazon Prime. We also borrowed a Chromecast to see if that would be worth the money.
At the end of both trial subscriptions we decided that Netflix and Amazon Prime were both worth the fee. I enjoy Amazon Prime mainly because they offer free two-day shipping on a lot of their items. This subscription also includes a free sign-up to Amazon Mom, which I have been wanting to try out for a while. This by itself is enough to sell me on the $99 per year charge. Our Netflix subscription is about $9 per month and we get unlimited streaming of several movies and television shows. It’s great for those binge-a-thon nights!
The Chromecast turned out to be a great choice as well. It’s a one-time fee for the device, about $30, and you can stream videos wirelessly from your computer, phone, or tablet to the TV screen (using the Chrome browser). Netlflix and YouTube have direct capabilities which allow you to use the “Cast” button directly from their sites (or your phone app). This is awesome! We previously used an HDMI cable to do this already before, but the Chromecast just makes viewing online videos so much simpler. I can watch a YouTube video on my TV that’s streaming from my laptop, while at the same time working on something else in another window. This is perfect for the ADD side of me (J/K).
I bought my husband an Xbox One for Christmas. The Xbox allows you to download Netflix and YouTube (not to mention Pandora…which I love) directly to your console. You just use your controller as a remote and enjoy the ease of watching your favorite movies and shows.
With all of these options available to us…we don’t fee like we need cable anymore. And we have not regretted our decision thus far.
Some of my favorite networks that offer free limited online streaming are:
– Lifetime
– ABC
– Vh1
– MTV
– Fox
– HGTV
– A&E
So, when all is said and done we ended up saving roughly $1,000 per year for our television services (this does not include the Xbox purchase, because he was going to get that anyway for his gaming). The price of the Chromecast is included, but remember that is only a one-time fee so we will save even more next year. I would say that’s pretty good!
Can you live without cable?
I hope this helps!
© Shavonda Simmons and Nifty Mahogany Mom.com, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Shavonda Simmons and Nifty Mahogany Mom.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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