Natural Frozen Fruit Bars

April 23, 2013 by 2 Comments

I have struggled the past year to try to eliminate high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from our diets and treats including fruit bars and treats. It is very difficult to find sweet treats without HFCS and even more difficult to find frozen fruit treats. I will buy a few treats like the frozen lemonade and fruit popsicles during the summer, and sometimes I just make my own.

Waiting for Fruit Bar

Affordable Frozen Fruit Bars

fruit bar fruit

I was in Sam’s Club and found these Chunks O’ Fruti Fruit Bars. They are made with premium actual fruit and fruit juices. They have just a minimal amount of sugar added to enhance the fruit flavors. I love when a company just gets it right. How hard is it to take real fruit and blend it up and freeze it without tainting it with artificial colors and flavors at a decent price? I am glad Natural Fruit Corporation saw how easy this is to do and made these good for you frozen fruit bars. Stay in touch with Fruti by liking their Facebook page.

Frozen Treats

This weekend our big freezer went out and we desperately needed all the freezer space we could get. Most of the time at Sam’s club you have to buy items in bulk. This makes it difficult to find a spot big enough in the freezer to put a big box. This box of 16 fruit bars would not fit in our freezer without some major rearranging. I was happy when I opened the box to find four individual boxes inside, so I could tuck them in the little open spots in the freezer. These little boxes are perfect for any size freezer.

Frozen fruit Bars Good

Enjoying Fruti

I love that we are getting a serving of fruit in each of these frozen fruit bars. My daughter doesn’t really like fruit or veggies, but freezing fruit somehow makes fruit awesome. She thinks she is just getting a treat, but I know she is getting something good and healthy for her. She enjoyed the strawberries and cream bar. Little Face really liked the pinacolada the best! He loves fruit, so frozen fruit is just more fun.  Both my husband and I really enjoyed the pinacolada too.

Enjoying frozen treat

If you would love to try these for yourself Chunks O’ Fruti will be giving a demo with yogurt in Sam’s club on May 13th. Check out my shopping experience with my Google + album.

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias®  and Fruti #cbias #SocialFabric #FreshNFruti

Filed Under: Frugal living

Flash Sales Website on Educational Products for Kids

February 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Today I am bringing you a special Offer from Educents.com a flash sales website on Educational products for kids.

educational products for kids

Special Offer: Register now and receive a free $15 gift card to use when the site launches April 2, 2013.

An incredible deal! A flash-sales website, Educents.com fills a gap in the market by focusing solely on educational products for kids. Educents delivers your favorite educational products you NEED for your children NOW. Get incredible deals on handpicked, unique educational products for kids at an unbeatable value. This is what learners, educators and parents have been waiting for!

Educents is a family-owned business that was born out of the belief that everyone deserves access to affordable educational materials. A brother-sister pair watched their mother struggle to afford education and it was then they had the lightbulb for Educents. It is that passion that drives the company to find the best discounts for every family. (30-90% off!) Shouldn’t everyone have access to affordable education? Utilizing the ‘strength in numbers’ approach, Educents seeks to change the status quo of how educational materials will reach those wanting to learn.

Educents is an easy way to get huge discounts on the educational products for kids you know and love (and maybe even some you’ve never heard of!).

Educents is the only educational flash sale site that offers the latest learning materials at a discounted 30-90 % off!

Educational Products for Kids

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And the best part? Sign up today for a complimentary $15 gift card just for pre-registering! Want to learn more? Visit the launch page to learn about the family and what they’re doing to change the world of high-priced education. We’d love to share our educational obsession – Connect with us via our Blog, Twitter and Facebook or email: Info@educents.com

*This is a paid sponsored post.

Filed Under: Frugal living

Homemade Fabric Softener Crystals

February 21, 2013 by 5 Comments
You may have seen I was giving away fabric softener crystals from Purex last week. I love these little crystals and I wanted to know how could I make homemade fabric softener crystals myself. I have made my own homemade fabric softener in the past, but I like these little crystals. When I picked up the bottle to read the label  the first ingredient listed was sodium chloride. This is the fancy name for salt. Yes, they are selling you just plain ole salt that smells good. Well I know I can make something that smells just as good for less than half the price of that stuff.
Homemade Fabric Softener Crystals

Why would you use salt as a homemade fabric softener?

Salt is a natural water softener. Therefore if your clothes are washed in water that is softened, the clothes will be softened too. I am not fond of the vinegar smelling clothes, so this is a great alternative to me. I suppose you could use a little of both if you wanted. I can get sea salt for around $0.39 a pound here at Sprouts. That is pretty frugal fabric softener if you ask me. Plus I can add my own scents with a few drops of natural oils.
Let’s take the bath salts recipe, you can use the same exact recipe for Homemade Bath Salts to make fabric softener. It really is that easy.

Ingredients for Homemade Fabric Softener:

1 Cup Sea Salt

1 Cup Epsom Salt

20-30 drops of essential oil (Eucalyptus or tea tree smells nice)

Just mix these simple ingredients together and Boom. You are done. Use about 1/4 -1/2 per load. Depends on load size to how much you may need.
I have discussed the benefits of Epsom salt and the benefits of Sea salt, now you can wear these on your clothes to get the most benefits from both. Homemade fabric softener crystals will soften your clothes and add a fresh scent with the essential oils you choose to add. Who knew this would be so easy. Now you can make a large batch and use in your bath or with your clothes to keep smelling fresh and clean all the time.
Follow Pounds4Pennies Frugal Living Blog on Pinterest or Like Pounds4Pennies Frugal Living Blog on Facebook to find out the latest homemade recipes on how to make the products you love at home yourself the frugal way.
Filed Under: Frugal living

How to Make Natural Face Toner

January 24, 2013 by 2 Comments

I have tween daughter and as her body is changing into the wonderful women I know she will grow to be, her skin is changing too. She has developed a little acne on her face, nothing too serious. She needs to keep her face clean more than just washing. I am trying to teach her the importance of hygiene to maintain not only her appearance, but her health. I wanted to find a way we could make our own face toner. I grew up using Sea Breeze for maintaining my skin. I wanted to find something I thought would be comparable for her skin. Her skin is a bit more oily than mine. So I have two recipes for natural face toner I would like to share with you depending on your skin type.

Witch Hazel is a great ingredient for a face toner, since it is a great astringent. An astringent is something that will shrink tissues, therefore it will shrink the pores on the face. I never knew that is what stringent meant. I thought astringent meant cleaner. Since this is the main purpose for an astringent you still need something that will clean your face. Tea Tree oil is great as an anti-fungal  and antibacterial oil to clean and disinfect your face. Since only using a few drops it is a mild oil for the skin.

Face Toner

Natural Face Toner

How to Make Natural Face Toner:

10 tbsp. distilled water
2 tbsp. witch hazel (astringent)
3-5 drops tea tree oil (cleaner)
2 tbsp. alcohol (optional for oily skin)

Directions for Natural Face Toner:

1. Mix the above ingredients together and shake thoroughly to mix well. If you don’t have oily skin, you do not need to add the alcohol.

2. Pour a small amount on a cotton ball and rub face to cleanse and tone face. This is a simple natural face toner.

Continue your spa treatments with how to make facial masks at home, relax with bath salts, have radiant skin with a body scrub and take a relaxing foot bath. I love to learn what each ingredient is used for and what purpose and finding natural ingredients for skin care. Find more inspiration by following me on Pinterest or follow me on Twitter.  Are you learning about taking care of your skin with natural ingredients? 
Filed Under: Frugal living, Great Gifts

Fabulous Foot Bath For Soft Smooth Feet

January 23, 2013 by 4 Comments
Have you been enjoying your day at the spa treatments? If you happen to just get here take a look at how to make bath salts, facial masks and awesome body scrubs. What better way to feel relaxed than to have a fabulous foot bath at the end of the day? As my body ages, my feet tend to get drier and drier. I thought this was just an old lady problem, and I don’t feel that old! I do want soft, smooth feet. I don’t think my husband wants to snuggle with sandpaper feet at night. So I came up with this fabulous foot bath recipe.
I am falling in love with coconut oil. It has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties to aid in healthy feet. Not to mention a great gentle moisturizer for your feet and skin. We discussed the uses of Epsom salt and sea salt in previous articles. Peppermint oil is great to relax feet and tea tree oil has similar properties to coconut oil, but tea tree oil is much more concentrated. Just remember to use tea tree oil in small amounts. There can be be too much of a good thing.

Foot Bath

Foot Bath

How to make a Fabulous Foot Bath:

1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil (My new favorite beauty care item)
1/4 Cup of bath Salts recipe (Link to previous post)
10 drops Mint or Peppermint oil
10 drops Tea Tree Oil

Directions for a Fabulous Foot Bath :

1. Find a relaxing spot. (This is probably the most difficult piece of this recipe).
2. Get a towel to dry your feet after they soak. I forget this most of the time, so I thought I should put it in as a step.
3. Get nice warm to hot water in a large container for your feet.
4. Put the 1/4 cup bath salts, coconut oil, peppermint oil and tea tree oil in the container and mix thoroughly. The coconut oil should melt quickly.
5. Allow feet to soak for 20-30 minutes to have refreshed and moisturized feet.
Now you have fabulous foot bath recipe to add to your spa treatments. You could make this quickly every time or multiply the ingredients to make a larger foot bath batch to keep when ever you want to do a fabulous foot soak for yourself. Follow me on Pinterest and Facebook to stay connected. How are you enjoying all this pampering?
Filed Under: Frugal living, Great Gifts

How to Make Bath Salts Using Sea Salt and Epsom Salt

January 22, 2013 by 10 Comments

Have you made any of these fabulous natural or frugal spa day treatments? What better way to relax than a bath to know how to make bath salts at home? I have been doing a lot of research to bring you these fabulous articles. I want to know the reason why things happen. One interesting fact I learned about Epsom salt is it occurs naturally. Epsom salt was originally discovered at a spring in England. It was found to have many beneficial properties both inside and out. I recently wrote about the benefits of sea salt and your skin. Today I would like to tell you some benefits of Epsom salt I recently found out.

Benefits of Epsom salt:

Helps the body relax to ease stress – By soaking in an Epsom salt bath, it helps the body absorb magnesium. This is very beneficial for depression and anxiety.

Relieves pain and muscle cramps – The Epsom salt interferes with the receptors in the brain to relieve muscle pain.

Relieves constipation – I had no idea this was used as a laxative. This is on the box: use 2-4 teaspoons dissolved in 8oz of water. Who knew?

Eliminates toxins from the body – helps remove toxins in the body by helping flush toxins from the skin.

A few warnings on the Epsom salt box: ask a doctor if you have kidney disease, a magnesium restricted diet, stomach pain, or change in bowel habits.

How to Make Bath Salts

How to Make Bath Salts

Ingredients for How to make Bath Salts :

1 Cup Sea Salt

1 Cup Epsom Salt

20-30 drops of essential oil (Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Spearmint, Peppermint would be great for relaxing)

How to make Bath Salts:

Pouring oil

1. I found these cute little containers at Ikea. They hold exactly two cups, perfect for this recipe. Measure out salts and pour into container.

2. Slowly add essential oil to the salt. Mix the oil thoroughly in the container to make sure it is evenly dispersed.

3. Seal with a lid and add some ribbon for a perfect gift. See, how to make bath salts is so simple.

If you have never purchased Epsom salt, it is a great ingredient to have around the house to be used for many things.  How to make bath salts is so simple. This recipe is safe enough to eat, but I don’t recommend it. Yuck. If it is safe to eat,  then is it safe to use on your skin. Now you know how to make a bath salts that is safe for you and your skin. I made these for Christmas gifts and didn’t have time to get the post done. These would make a fabulous little valentine gifts for a friend or teacher. You know they are stressed and need to relax. Stay in touch with my Facebook or Twitter accounts.  Do you know anyone who would just love this gift?

ThePinJunkie

Filed Under: Frugal living, Great Gifts

How to Make Sea Salt Body Scrub for Radiant Skin

January 21, 2013 by 5 Comments

Frugal indulgence is what this week is about. What better way to pamper yourself, than with a luxurious sea salt body scrub. This not only will exfoliate, but also provide a rich moisturizer for your skin. My skin gets really dry during the winter, so I need a little extra moisturizer during this dry time of year. 

Let’s talk about exfoliating your skin with a good salt scrub. I like to use sea salt, since I have a Sprouts store where I can buy sea salt for about $0.49 a pound. It is super cheap and a great frugal spa ingredient! Sea salt is great for baths and the skin, since it acts as a water softener and gently exfoliates the skin . It is one of the most common ingredients in high end spa treatments. Sea salt naturally detoxifies the skin, since it absorbs toxins on your skin. Since sea salt is processed differently than table salt, it retains some additional minerals rather than regular table salt.

Sea Salt Body Scrub for Radiant Skin

Body Scrub

Make your own luxurious body scrub with just three ingredients. Super easy.

 

Sea Salt Body Scrub:

1/4 cup sea salt
2 table spoons olive oil
3 tablespoons Lemon or Lime juice

Directions for Sea Salt Body Scrub:

1. Mix the salt thoroughly with the oil, so the lemon juice won’t dissolve the salt.

2. Add sea salt and mix all the ingredients together.

3. Gently massage into the skin, while taking a shower to exfoliate the skin. This will also soften and moisturize your skin.

4. Rinse off the scrub in a warm shower for smooth, silky skin for a fraction of the cost. Increase amounts to create a larger batches of this scrub.

Are you ready to pamper yourself with this luxurious all natural salt scrub? Stay tuned by liking me on Facebook or Twitter for the latest spa treatments this week. I would love to know how you enjoyed making this recipe. I think this would be a fabulous gift for valentine’s day or any other holiday. All of the spa recipes I am providing this week would make a fabulous gift set. Since, most of these products are natural this would also make a great gift for a new mother, too.

Filed Under: Frugal living, Great Gifts

Quick and Easy Yogurt Homemade Facial Masks

January 20, 2013 by 3 Comments

We all could use a day at the spa, but really who has the free time and money to go to the spa? Our family is busy, since our kids are involved in many activities throughout the week. By the time the weekend is here, I am exhausted, but I sure don’t want to look that way. This week I will show you have to have an awesome spa day at your house with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand. You can easily make homemade facial masks, fragrant bath salts and exfoliating salt scrubs for your own relaxing spa experience in the comfort of your own home. The hardest part will be finding some quiet time to carve out of your busy week to relax. I would recommend after the kids go to bed or on the weekends. It might be fun to have a girls night if you have tween daughter like I do; or since Valentines day is right around the corner this might be a fun couple activity to try together.

Homemade Facial Masks

Homemade Facial Masks

Easy to make homemade facial mask. Great for sleepover or fun night with a special Valentine.

1st Yogurt Homemade Facial Masks:

2 tsp plain Homemade yogurt 
2 tsp Fine oatmeal (Place in a blender or food processor and grind to a find powder)
1 tsp honey 

2nd Homemade Facial Masks:

3 Tablespoons Blueberries (pureed)
1/4 cup Homemade yogurt

How to make Homemade Facial Masks:

1. Start by washing and cleaning your face. Focus on the oily areas of your face.

2. Mix all ingredients together. Take the mixture and gently rub to form a thin mask over your face. 

3. Allow mixture to dry on your face for about 15 minutes.

4. To remove your homemade facial mask, rinse with warm water to remove mask. 

Did you know yogurt acts as a gentle exfoliant to stimulate good blood flow for your face? Who knew? Now you can make your yogurt, and facial too! The oatmeal acts as a great natural moisturizer and removes impurities from your pores. Honey acts as a natural disinfectant for your skin. The blueberries are an excellent antioxidant. You could even eat a few! Your face will feel so amazing after doing these simple homemade facial masks. I would love for you to share pics on Facebook or Twitter to show me how they are working!

We have enjoyed trying and making these fun homemade spa treatments at home. These would be so fun to do for a slumber party for the girls or a girl day. You don’t have to spend a bunch of money to look fabulous!

Filed Under: Frugal living

Homemade Biscuits Recipe: and Pancake Mix

January 13, 2013 by 6 Comments

This homemade biscuits recipe is where my journey for making it homemade began. I had been purchasing those refrigerated biscuits from the store. Then I noticed all the extra stuff in those. In order to be more homemade, I purchased a box of Bisquick with a coupon. Then I wondered if I could still get biscuits cheaper by making my own. The women of the south and on the prairie didn’t have the luxury of just opening a box to make biscuits. They had to make them by hand and from scratch. So I knew this could be done.

I did a lot of research to find out how to make the best homemade biscuits from my own pre-made mix. If I pre-make the homemade biscuit mix then, when ever we want biscuits it will be simply measuring what I need. If I am following a recipe that needs homemade biscuits recipe mix, I will have my own ready to go. This will be easy.

Homemade biscuits recipe

Ingredients for easy Homemade Biscuits Recipe:

6 cups flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 cup shortening – 4 months storage (or butter 6-8 weeks refrigerated)
2 tablespoons sugar (can be omitted, but tastes better with a little sugar)
1 tablespoon salt

Directions for making easy homemade biscuits recipe:

Homemade biscuits recipe

1. Sift all the dry ingredients together to incorporate well.

Homemade biscuits recipe crumbs

2. Use a pastry blender to cut shortening or butter into dry mixture until crumbly.

Directions for Homemade Biscuits Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 450. Measure 2 cups mix and 2/3 cup milk (or homemade buttermilk for buttermilk biscuits). Stir ingredients together. I usually get my hands in there and mix it for a minute or two.

2. Here is the secret step for really flakey layered homemade biscuits. Take the dough and layout on a floured surface and fold it over on itself and roll it out again. See all those layers in the picture? Keep folding over on itself and rolling out about 10 times for really nice layered biscuits.

Homemade biscuits recipe biscuits

3. Use a biscuit cutter or a large mouth glass to cut the biscuits. Lay them out on a baking pan and bake for about 8-10 minutes for large amazing biscuits. You could also just make drop biscuits.

Since you know how to make butter, a little dab of butter would be great with some homemade strawberry jam.

Directions for making Homemade Pancake Mix:

Homemade Pancake Mix

1. Measure 2 cups biscuit mix, 1/4 cup sugar, add 1 cup milk (or buttermilk) and two eggs. For extra fluffy pancakes add 1 teaspoon baking powder. Stir to make a batter, but don’t stir too much. It is ok if it still has a few lumps in it.

2. Pour onto griddle around 350 degrees and brown on both sides. This is the best homemade pancake mix. We made these just the other day with the buttermilk. I think these were the best pancakes we have ever made. You will have to add this homemade pancake mix to your recipe log. 

Tip: We like to add fruit puree like smashed bananas or pureed strawberries. Even add some homemade yogurt to your pancakes for more calcium and protein.

Filed Under: Frugal living, Recipes
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