Nicole

DIY Tea Tree Oil Shampoo!

Good afternoon, savvy savers! For this weeks Beauty on a Budget, I wanted to share with you my recipe for Homemade Shampoo! After years of purchasing Paul Mitchell’s Tea Tree Oil Shampoo, I started making my own, and haven’t turned back since! My blend combines coconut milk and tea tree oil, and works well for all types of hair, including color treated hair! I can make an entire bottle of shampoo, a 8 ounce bottle for only $0.20!

I put my shampoo, and homemade conditioner (to be seen in an upcoming tutorial) back in the original bottles I previously used, washed out of course, and my family has yet to ever notice the difference!

Also worth noting, this blend is also excellent for natural curl patterns, like my own!

Here’s how to make this:

Ingredients:

1/8 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of Vitamin E oil
20 drops of tea tree oil
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup filtered water

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in an jar.
Shake well to mix.
This blend will last in-shower for up to a month.
Shake before each use.
Use about a teaspoon every time you shampoo.
Enjoy!

Here’s to your inner beauty,

32 Comments

Meal Planning Monday: Feed A Family Of Four, For Only $29.16!

Good afternoon, savvy savers! Here is my weekly menu, for which was derived from couponing deals, freebies, and cupboard cooking; I will be feeding a family of four this week for only $29.16!

This week we will be having:

Monday
Breakfast: Mini meatless mushroom frittatas, Fruit cups, and Juice.
Lunch: Grilled Ham and Cheese Paninis, with Humus dip, sweet potato chips, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Walnuts and String Cheese.
Dinner: Homemade Chicken Nuggets, Green Beans, Baked Potatoes, with Corn Muffins, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cereal of Choice, Milk, and Apple Slices
Lunch: Progresso Soup of choice, carrot sticks, and Crystal Light
Snack: Trail mix.
Dinner: Taco Tuesdays!
Dessert: Brownie Ice Cream Sundaes Sandwiches.

Wednesday
Breakfast: Yogurt with granola, and juice.
Lunch: Taco Salads, with juice.
Snack: Grapes and apple slices.
Dinner: Grilled steak, topped with Spinach Artichoke dip, pita bread, steamed corn, and crystal light.
Dessert: Homemade flurries, with leftover brownies.

Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal of choice, with fruit cup, and milk.
Lunch: Grilled Chicken Salad, Crystal Light, and homemade banana chips.
Snack: Hummus and crackers, with grapes.
Dinner: Bacon Cheeseburgers, baked beans, and tossed salad, with milk.
Dessert: Carrot Cake Cupcakes, with Cream Cheese Icing.

Friday
Breakfast: Smoothies.
Lunch: Tossed salad, with walnuts, grapes, blueberries, and homemade Greek dressing.
Snack: Granola and fruit cup.
Dinner: Kosher Dogs, With Slaw and Chili, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Coca-Cola slushies.

Saturday
Breakfast: Pancakes, with sausage, and milk.
Lunch: Grilled Chicken sandwiches, with Sweet Potato chips, and Crystal Light.
Snacks: String Cheese and grapes.
Dinner: Grilled Bratwurst, with steamed corn on side, pasta salad, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Cupboard Clearing Cake

Sunday
Breakfast: French Toast, with Milk, and Honey.
Lunch: Grilled Salmon Fillets , baked mini macaroni and cheese cups, steamed Broccoli, with Crystal Light.
Snack: Grapes and walnuts.
Dinner: Crockpot Green Curry Chicken, steam veggies and rice, and crystal light.
Dessert: Hot fudge sundaes, with splenda fudge topping!

Enjoy the ideas!

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Perfectly Portioned Meal Control!

Hello again, savvy savers! Today I am starting another new blog series, Battle Of The Bulge, Budget-Style! I will be focusing on ways to live a healthier, more active lifestyle while be able to afford clean, organic, obtainable foods! I believe this series can be worthwhile for many, who like myself, wish to get more in shape, not through crash-dieting but by small attainable lifestyle changes! All of the changes I propose will be free or affordable, and most meals and plans will contain couponed savings or deals! Fads are fancy, but coupons are a commitment! With that said, here is where I am currently: I have a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. I am looking to lose 60lbs., find affordable non-gym membership options for working out, and change the way I consume food; this includes meals, snacks, and splurges!

Today I am 31 years young, I am 5’6”, and weigh 201 lbs; I am down three pounds since last week. I walk my dogs but beyond this am not terribly active. My lifestyle causes sedentary behaviors; I work-from-home, blog, run two internet businesses, and perform advocacy work online as well. I am an internet-based excuser! Today this changes! Spring has sprung, and so shall I! I have taken up yoga, and have started working out with a pedometer on as well!

For my fourth post, I wanted to discuss a new measure I have implemented to help in my food portion control, measuring cups. This may sound very rudimentary, but I have found this very effective. I use a 1 and 2 cup pyrex measuring glass to measure out the portions of food I eat each meal at home. I purchased my cups, for free, on Amazon.com using survey-derived gift cards, but similar versions are available at the Dollar Tree.

Here is a guide I use in doing so:

1) Foods that should be served in 1 cup servings: Raw vegetables, cooked or raw fruit,

2) Food that should be served in 1/4 cup servings: Cooked vegetables, Dried Fruit, Waffles,

3) Foods that should be eaten in 1/2 cup servings: Whole Fruit, Canned Chicken or Tuna, Prepared Salads, Meats, Poultry, Eggs.

4) Foods that should be eaten in 2/3 cup servings: Fruit Juice, Yogurt, Milk, Potatoes, Cereal,

5) Foods that should be eaten in 1/8 cup servings: Cheese, Bread, Pretzels, Potato Chips,

6) Foods that should be eaten in 1/3 cup servings: Rice, Couscous, Quinoa, Cooked Pasta,

7) Foods that should be eaten in 1 teaspoon servings: Oil, Butter, and Spreads.

8) Foods that should be eaten in 1 tablespoon servings: Nuts.

Here’s to the Journey!

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How to Create A Summer Salad Bowl!

Hello again, savvy savers! Here is my latest gardening project this week, my Summer Salad Bowl! Each year I plant potable salad green seeds, a blend of romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, and basil in a round clay bowl, sectioned into thirds, which I am able to continually grow and cut, throughout the summer for fresh salad greens! This is the first weeks progress with this project, and I am happy to report that the lettuce is starting to sprout as you can see! This project cost $5.75 ($5.00 for the pot and saucer at my local Lowe’s, and $0.75 for the three packs of seeds at my local Dollar Tree), and will provide salads for my family, twice a week all summer long; this project will save my family $70.00 this summer!

Here’s to saving!

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Sunday Reflections: High and Lows Of The Week!

Hello again, savvy savers! I wanted to end my weekly posts by bring the week to a close with a post about the reflections on this past week.

The highs for the week:

Finishing up papers for Graduate School.
Making new friends on my blog.
Finishing two novels I had been putting off reading.
Losing one pounds.
Organizing my patio.
Continuing a daily devotional.
The emergence of Spring.
Free lollipops from Winn-Dixie

My lows for the week:

My Great Pyrenees Puppy…is a puppy and is into everything!
Feeling nauseous for no apparent reason, throughout the week.
A Foot fission.

My quote for the week:

“What are gardens, and how do they grow? Love lives in gardens, that only God and lovers know.” -O’Henry

My inspiration for the week:

Having a clean, organized office…and home.

My humor for the week:

Happy Sunday!

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Nibblr Subscription Box Review & Reader Giveaway!

Good afternoon, savvy savers! This afternoon I wanted to share with you my review for the March 2014 Nibblr Subscription Box! This was my first time tasting one of these delicious monthly treat subscriptions, and I was not disappointed in wither the quality or the quantity of the box.

Here were my thoughts on the box:

The box: The box itself is slender and compact, similar to a box of Russell-Stover candies. Each of the four snacks, is nested in the box, by way of its own sealed plastic bin tray.

The taste: This subscription came with a variety of chocolate, fruit, and nut themed medleys including:

Coco’s First Date – This tray contained almonds, dates and coconut chips. The taste was a great pairing, and reminded me of a German chocolate cake.

PB&J – The tray contained raisins, peanut butter wafers, and peanuts. This one is just like the description implies, the taste is just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Turtle Twist – This was my favorite tray of the box. This medley was comprised of dark chocolate, walnuts and caramel bits. The paring was warm and descendent.

A, B, C’s – This one contained all dried fruit; this was a juicy medley of apples, cranberries and blueberries.

The subscription: Nibblr subscriptions, as I have explained, are boxed subscription boxes containing four portioned fruit, nut, and chocolate themed snacks. The subscription service allows the subscriber to customise tray quantities, as well as scheduled delivery times; you can choose where and how often you want to receive your box. Each box is $5.99 each box, shipped. This customization also allows you to purchase prepaid subscription in 4, 6, or 12 month increments. For months when you wish to opt-out of the service, you may do so without charge. The final fun aspect of the subscription is that while ordering online, subscribers are allows to rate box medley combinations as “love”, “like”, “interested” or “no thanks.”

If you are interested in trying Nibblr, TheLadyPrefersToSave readers can use promotional code, PLUSONE, to get your first box for free.

What’s even better? As this is the unveiling week of my website, one lucky TheLadyPrefers2Save reader will win a free Nibblr Tee-Shirt and a 1 Month subscription for free!

To enter:

– Like the Lady Prefers To Save on Facebook (this step will be verified).
– Follow the Lady Prefers to Save on Twitter (this step will also be verified).

This giveaway is open to US & Canadian Residents Only.

This contest ends at 11:59pm CST on 4/12/14!

Good luck, everyone!

n accordance with FTC Guidelines: I hereby disclose that I received complimentary products from the company being reviewed above, in exchange for my honest opinion and review of my experience. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions in the post are 100% my own. Individual results or experiences may vary. You can obtain more details information about the company, its products, and policies by visiting their respective websites, which will be linked above.

9 Comments

Crockpot Salisbury Steak Recipe!

Good afternoon, savvy savers! This afternoon finds my home in the midst of Spring showers, puddles, and a cold snap! So, I thought today I would make an extra dish, which I can could share with you all today. I will be making my Crockpot Salisbury Steak Recipe! Aside from the ground beef, which I purchase generally on BOGO specials at my local Winn-Dixie, everything else is derived from the Dollar Tree! In addition, this recipe features both my homemade au jus and french onion soup mix recipes, which I have incorporated into this recipe as well. I can make this meal for under $7.00 and it will feed 6!

Here’s how you make it:

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
3 3/4 cup water
8 cubes or teaspoons beef bouillon
8 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 bag frozen onion and pepper mix (or blanched onions and peppers you have on hand)

Instructions:

1) In a bowl mix all seasoning ingredients, aside from salt and pepper.

2) In a second bowl, mix together the ground beef, bread crumbs, and milk using your hands.

3) Add the soy sauce to the mixture and full incorporate.

4) Shape into 8 patties.

5) In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.

6) Dredge the patties in the flour to coat the patties.

7) Brown on both sides in the skillet; turn the patties once while browning, for two minutes a side.

8) Place browned patties into your crockpot, in a pyramid shape.

9) Using your first bowl you mixed your seasoning together in, add the cream of chicken soup, frozen vegetables, and water. Combine well, then pour over the meat.

10) Cook on the Low setting for 6 hours, until ground beef is well done.

11) Serve over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes. Pair this dish with a side of green beans, or peas, and rolls.

12) Enjoy!

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