Sign up for Air Watch on tripadvisor.com to get great deals on airfare.

I have to share the EXTRAORDINARY GREAT DEAL we got from signing up for Air Watch on Trip Advisor.com. If you set up a profile and subscribe for Air Watch, you can put in your cities of departure and arrival. It will then send you an email periodically to let you know what the best price other travelers have been booking for that particular month. If you have followed my blog in the past, you may know that we spent over 4 months touring South America about a year ago. Out of all the 6 countries we traveled through we really had a liking for Lima, Peru. So, when I signed up for Air Watch I put Detroit to Lima as my two cities. I received an email late August with an email alert saying that the best airfare to Lima for December $427 rt. When it sends you the alert it shows the airfare for 3 consecutive months. The average price for airfare to Lima from Detroit is usually between $800-$1000 rt. We could n't believe how cheap the airfare was at $427!We thought it was a hoax , actually We were talking about how it would be nice to go somewhere for the winter and ditch the cold temperatures. But frankly, we did not think we could afford to do that this year. It was quite a surprise and we weren't quite prepared for such a nice gift! We tossed the idea around for a few days and weighed out the finances. After much deliberation and prayer, we decided to go for it! As I attempted to book our flight, four days had passed since I received the email email alert. Would the tickets still be available? To my dismay, of course not!Oh well, we missed out. We were really disappointed but it was our fault for not jumping on the opportunity. A week later I received another email letting me know that tickets to Lima were on sale for $417 rt. This was even cheaper than before! We immediately went on line and booked 5 round trip tickets to Lima leaving December 4th coming back March 20th. We were going to escape the cold winter months of Michigan and enjoy the year round 70 degree weather of Lima, Peru. Yippee! We did it. And here we are, as Michigan has record freezing temperatures and snow fall. What a blessing!

Cheap natural cleaning products

It's been over 3 years since I have gone almost completely chemical free in the household cleaning area. Toxic chemicals have been found to be respiratory irritants which can cause severe health issues with short term and long term use. These chemicals can also be carcinogenic. If you read the labels on cleaners, there is even a warning stating these things. Personally, when I have used chemical cleaners, my nose starts running and my chest feels heavy and I start coughing. Why would I want to submit myself and my family to health hazards. When I was pregnant with my youngest son, Asher, this prompted alot of changes in our daily living. I started using white distilled vinegar and water for disenfecting and cleaning surfaces, toilet bowls and cutting grease and build up. Vinegar along with baking soda works like "scrubbing bubbles" and a plumbing snake. Just pour about a half cup of baking soda down a slow or clogged drain along with a cup of vinegar and hear the combination do it's work. Wait a few minutes and then run hot water or boiling water to flush and amazingly it is clear and unclogged! I fill a spray bottle about a third with vinegar and then the rest with water. I use this in the kitchen for countertops, degreasing the stove, cleaning the stainless steel fridge as well as the inside. I keep a bottle in every bathroom for disenfecting the sinks and toilets, cleaning the soapcum in the shower and making the mirrors shine. In the bathtub for removing stains and tougher grime, I use baking soda with a wet sponge and then a final rinse with vinegar. I also use vinegar in the laundry as a softner and stain remover. I fill a bucket half way with hot water and 1/4 cup of vinegar to wash our hard wood floors and trim.

"Vinegar has been found to be effective in reducing levels of E.coli on various surfaces(e.g., laminate, wood, tile, concrete, stainless steel, and granite).Vinegar has been used commercially to reduce microorganisms in slaughterhouses and poultry plants; to reduce mineral and lime deposits in bathroom pipes; to prevent milk stone buildup in tanks used by the milk industry; to clean vehicles and equiptment used in the construction industry and to wash and rinse walls and ceilings in restaurants and food establishments.Cleaning with vinegar is much safer and cheaper than using commercial products and has the following additional advantage:

It's biodegradable- a mild organic acid
It's easy to dispense and cotrol
It's safe for stainless steel, used by the food industry
It's relatively non-toxic and , so safe for handling
It's less likely to leave harmful residues behind
It has a pleasant, clean smell
It can be used where environmental considerations are especially important." This is taken from the book "Vinegar 1001 Practical Uses" by Margaret Briggs

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to go chemical free in the household cleaning department. I buy a gallon jug of white vinegar at Meijer for around $3.00 . Baking soda is even cheaper. Another cleansing agent that is made of naturally derived ingredients is Bon Ami. The ingredient list taken from www.bonami.com is as follows:
"Baking soda,bodegradable cleansing agents derived from corn, palm and coconut, citric acid, corn alcohol, epsom salts, natural essential oils, feldspar, limestone,soda ash,tallow soap,water, xanthan gum,ph adjuster and biodegradable preservatives". This is great to use if you want something with a little more grit for scrubbing. It's in powder form and is very inexpensive as well at around $1.94 or less for 14 oz. I usually get it from TARGET in the natural cleaning section.

My latest DIY Project

I'm so bad at remembering to take before photos! This was an antique dresser that my husband picked up from the curb.(garbage) My husband loves keeping antiques in it's natural state, so to him the idea of painting good wood is a bad idea. But, this particular piece was not in the best shape, it had obviously sat out in the rain and we had to rip out the back panel. And, my husband was out of town for 3 weeks,and couldn't talk me out of it. So, I went paint happy. I decided to paint it black and scuff it up to make it look shabby. I used a half quart of Behr Premium Paint with the primer built in for efficiency and cost effectiveness,which I bought from Homedepot. It was missing two knobs, so I decided since it was a free piece, I could splurge on the knobs. I got the pretty ceramic knobs from Anthropology, one of my favorite stores, for $12.00 each. The whole project cost me around $50.

Printable coupons and digital coupons

Although I love a great deal, I've never been much of a couponer for groceries. I've signed up for saving's cards and I do buy things on sale, of course. I just never have the time to sit and cut out coupons. I found this site that has all kinds of coupons you can print or you can store digitally on your phone. NO need for scissors or paper waste. It's definitely worth checking out. I shop frequently at Wholefoods and Meijer's and it takes you right to the site for coupons. It's very convenient, a onestop shop for coupons and savings. Here's the link:



http://www.shopathome.com/grocery-coupons/shopathome.aspx?SID=11524394

Tell me what you think!

Free Children's Activities for the summer- Sign Up Now

I just signed up for this awesome free bowling program this week. www.kidsbowlfree.com is the site to register all your children 15 years and under. They will receive 2 FREE games of bowling , everyday, all summer long at participating bowling alley's in your area. GO to the site and click on your state, a page with all the cities and the bowling alley's will pop up. You pick the alley closest to you and then register your kids. After you submit, a special offer screen pops up for $24.95 a one time fee which gives the adults and your kids over the age of 15, 2 games every day as well. After a few visits, this special offer will pay for itself and then your bowling for free with the kids. The only thing you have to pay for is the shoe rental. We went to Dick's Sporting Goods and found bowling shoes for around $24.00. I'm sure little kids sizes are probably cheaper.

Another program to sign up is similiar, but involves roller skates. www.kidsskatefree.com
It's the same kind of program, but the age cut off is 10 year old and under. Check it out!
It's all about staying physically active, spending time together and saving money.

What's for dinner tonight?

Unfortunately, the picture does not do it justice. This was another great vegetarian meal we consumed for dinner. A homemade black bean burger with bits of cilantro and red onion melded into the pattie,slices of crisp green pepper, juicy tomato, creamy avocado, pepper jack cheese, tangy tomato and corn salsa all between a ciabatta bun,accompanied by sweet potato fries. Yum!

Black beans are a very inexpensive way to get your protein,fiber, folate, antioxidants, as well as B vitamins, iron, magnesium,copper and zinc.
Black beans have numerous health benefits and are low in calories.
I buy them dry, in a bag. Just soak them in a pan with water overnight and then boil till tender.

Cheap and healthy meal in 20 minute or less

Here's a cheap and healthy meal to throw together in less than 20 minutes for any day of the week.


RICE NOODLES WITH GREENS AND TOMATO SAUCE


INGREDIENTS:

1 package or box of rice noodles -$1.89-$3.99 for a package or box, use any kind you like. I used Rice Sticks which is like fettucini(you can buy them from any Asian grocery store or even the Asian section of any big box store will have them)

1 bunch of organic chard,chopped- $1.99 a bunch at Meijer in the organic section (you can use organic kale or organic spinach if you prefer)

1 package of organic mushrooms, sliced- on sale at Meijer for a $1.00 if you can catch it

1 onion sliced

4 cloves of garlic smashed

1 can of chick peas or if you prefer dried, soaked overnight, and then boiled till tender

1 can of organic tomato sauce or you can make your own if you prefer. For time restraints using canned or jarred is fine.

2 tablespoons organic coconut oil

1 tsp. oregano- add more to your liking

1 tsp. thyme- add more to your liking

salt and pepper to taste

Boil water for noodles and cook according to package instructions. Heat pan and add coconut oil. I use coconut oil as my cooking oil because it is 100% cholesterol free and one of the healthiest oils to use in your diet. It's used to treat many ailments naturally including altzheimer's. I suggest doing some research on the benefits of coconut oil so you can add it to your diet if you aren't already using it. Saute onions until tender and add garlic. Saute for a few minutes ,don't burn your garlic! Add mushrooms, chard and chick peas and saute with thyme and oregano. Add tomato sauce and water to loosen sauce or add more coconut oil. Saute all ingredients together and simmer with lid till chard is tender. Toss with noodles and add season with parmesan.