My Favorite Green Website: GreenCupboards

Have you heard of this site? I wish I knew about it a long time ago. GreenCupboards is a USA based website that allows you to purchase eco-friendly products for every cupboard in your home in areas like baby & kids, electronics, grocery & prep, health & beauty, home & outdoor, office, pet supplies, and toys & games. GreenCupboards offers many popular brands, along with high quality brands that you may not have heard of yet.

GreenCupboards also offers a discounted overstock section, deals of the week, coupon codes, free shipping off purchases $49 and over, and various sales. Currently they are doing an Olympic themed sale with $15 off a purchase of at least $65 and over with free shipping. They will also mark their site down by 25% for 25 hours when Team USA wins 25 gold medals. If you sign up for their emails you will get $5 off your first order too!

You can search for products by eco-traits, or enviromental qualities that are important to you. For example, if you want to search through their BPA free items, GreenCupboards makes it easy to do so. I just spent so much time researching products like this when I could have come to this website and let them do all the work for me! These are the eco-traits you can search:

• Biodegradable
• BPA Free
• Carbon Neutral
• Cruelty Free
• Dairy Free
• Eco-Education
• Eco-Sidekick
• Energy Efficient
• Fair Trade
• Filtration & Purification
• Gluten Free
• GMO MSG Free
• Handmade
• Kosher
• Made in USA
• Non-toxic
• Organic
• Recyclable
• Recycled
• Reusable
• Smart Manufacturing
• Smart Packaging
• Sustainable Materials
• Vegan

There are a ton of eco-traits to search by, and I'm sure at least one of them is important to you. I love searching through all the products on this site and that I can search for children's toys that are BPA free. This is going to be awesome for the holidays!



Click on the banner below to browse through my favorite green products website.

I will receive a small fee if you purchase anything through my affiliate link, so I would greatly appreciate it if you click through the links on my blog! Thanks.

Pinterest Monday # 6

Hey everyone, it's time for my favorite pins again:

A DIY Double Rain Barrel from Dumpaday.com

My husband said he could totally build this for me.

20 Questions Birthday Q&A Album from Reaves, Party of Four

I'm so excited to make these for my little girls. I wanted to cry thinking of how fast this album will be put together, even though it takes many many years.

A Crafty Time Out Chair

The blog that this is from doesn't seem to exist anymore, so I can't give proper credit, but I'd really like to make this soon. I don't know about the timer in the chair though. I can see that secretly going off faster than I set it!

Well those were my favorites from this past week. If you like these, I have many more. Follow my pins at http://pinterest.com/planprepprovide/. More favorites will come next Monday!

 

Lying to Your Children

My husband was recently talking about how his mother had told him so many lies when he was a child and didn't find out that they were untrue until much later in life, which he was kind of upset about. One of the "lies" that I can recall is that his grandmother used to steal either a piece of candy or a nut from the bulk bin at the grocery store and eat it while she walked through the store (I thought, what grandma doesn't do this?) Anyway, his parents told him that they called the cops on his grandma and she went to jail for stealing, so he should never steal because he would go to jail too. He had gone through life thinking his grandma really did go to jail, and found out much later that it was not true at all.

We kind of vowed not to do this to our children. I don't even know if we realize that we do it though. I caught myself "lying" to my daughter twice today. The first one was when we were at the park and I was trying to calmly get her to go the car so we could go home. Usually, she throws a huge fit because she wants to play forever, but today she suggested that we go to the library. I said, "Okay, but we have to go in the car to get to the library." She hopped right in the truck. On the way home, when she realized we weren't going to the library, she started getting upset and I said, "The library was closed, it's too late (which wasn't a lie)," and I had to distract her with something else to keep her from throwing a fit.

The second lie was when we got home, she saw Daddy's box of donuts sitting on the table. She reached for them and asked for a donut and I said, "No, we have to eat dinner." When she started getting fussy about it I opened the box a little, peeked in, and said, "The donuts are all gone, there's no more," but there were really two donuts left. I made dinner for her and her sister. Then Daddy came in the living room, grabbed a donut, plopped down on the couch and ate it. My daughter didn't notice or get upset, but I still felt a little bad for lying to her.

Am I letting my child down by letting her think we were going to the library and by keeping donuts from her? Is she going to remember these things and have bad memories of her mama lying to her? I'm going to try to stop doing this to keep her from throwing a fit. Sometimes it's just so hard to put my foot down and say no only to hear her whine and whine and whine. Has anyone else had or is having this problem?

"Mama, help me!"

That seems to be all my 2 1/2 year old is saying lately. She's been wanting help with everything from eating her breakfast to pulling up her underwear to getting down from her highchair, all things she is and was fully capable of doing before. She also wants to be "my little baby" whenever she's being disciplined, meaning she wants me to rock her in my arms and tell her that she's my little baby. I try not to give in to these things, but could she be jealous of her younger sister?

At 14 months old, her sister is not capable of all the things she is, so I have to devote more "helping time" to the youngest. The 14 month old also isn't walking yet, so whenever we go somewhere, I have to carry her, leaving my oldest wanting to be carried too, which is kind of impossible.

What do I do? Will she pass out of this phase? I try to give her big girl things to do to help her mama, like emptying the dryer and she loves doing these things, but it doesn't seem to be enough. Have any of you been in this situation?

So Many Egg Substitutes...

Photo Credit Pietro Izzo via Flickr

So, my husband asked me to make some brownies for him, and I was for once willing to do it. I started melting my butter, and as I went back to my recipe I saw I needed two eggs. Darn it! I ran out of eggs today and I was not about to run to the store to get more.

I started looking up egg substitutes, and I didn't realize there were so many! A lot, if not all of these are cheaper than eggs too. I might start using substitutes for baking and just use eggs for breakfasts.

Also, it is recommended that you don't substitute for more than two eggs in a recipe. Here's the huge
list  (each bullet point is for one egg, so don't forget to double if you are replacing two eggs):

• 1 tsp. baking powder + 1 1/2 Tbsp. water + 1 1/2 Tbsp oil
• 1 tsp. baking powder + 1 Tbsp. water + 1 Tbsp. vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. water or milk + 2 Tbsp. flour + 1/2 Tbsp. shortening + 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar + 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice + 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 3 Tbsp. water
• 2 Tbsp. arrowroot flour
• 2 Tbsp. potato starch
• 1 Tbsp. tapioca starch + 1/4 cup warm water
• Mix well and allow it to gel
• 1 tsp. yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 banana, mashed (medium size) + 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 Tbsp. applesauce
• 3 Tbsp. mayonnaise *contains eggs--avoid if allergic or vegan*
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed + 3 Tbsp. water
• Heat flax and water on the stove until it becomes egg-like, about five minutes or
• Combine flax and water in a blender or food processor until thick and creamy. Refrigerate until needed.

I opted for the flax seed option so I could get some fiber into these brownies, but I didn't read on about cooking or blending the flax seed. I just put the flax seed and water into my bowl and mixed with the other ingredients. I need to make sure I follow the extra step next time; when I pulled my brownies out of the oven, it seemed like they needed to cook longer because there was liquid surrounding the edges. I cooked them an extra five minutes and used a paper towel to soak up the liquid. Again, that was my mistake, and if I would have followed the steps right I probably wouldn't have had to do that.

Are there any others that I'm missing? I haven't tried all of them yet, but I'm excited to replace some eggs from now on!

Homemade Natural Insect Repellent

There haven't been too many bugs this summer in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. Maybe it has something to do with the drought we were having? However, we spent a night at our new property in the country and that place is bug city! Thankfully, I whipped up an easy homemade insect repellent before we left.

• 15 drops tea tree oil
• 3 Tbsp. vanilla
• 4 Tbsp. lemon juice

That's it! Put all of the ingredients into a small spray bottle and fill the rest with water. It's that easy, and it smells good, unlike store bought insect repellents that are full of chemicals and smell like it too. Just spray all over to apply. If your spray bottle has a fine mist setting that would be best. Mine should have but it still came out in pretty big droplets, so I just rubbed it into the skin.


Oh and did I mention that it works too? We did apply it often; I really wanted to avoid bug bites so I would say maybe every three hours or so. Everyone except for my husband wore the repellent and everyone except my husband didn't have any bug bites. I think we pulled three or four ticks off my husbands legs on the drive home. He's a true naturalist, doesn't want anything sprayed on him, but he pays the consequences!

This recipe is a variation of the one seen here from Surviving the Stores.

Did you like this post? Like me on Facebook for more ideas like this!

This post has been featured on Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways Blog Hop #37, Deep Roots at Home 'EOA Link-up #46, and Jill's Home Remedies Natural Link-up from July 25, 2012.

Pinterest Monday # 5

I had some good pins on Pinterest this week, check them out:

My Virtual Model Weight Loss Simulator

Have you seen this yet? You can see how you look now compared to your goal weight for some inspiration. I also lost about 30 lbs. so far since having my youngest, so I compared my previous weight to now, and I can't believe the difference!

A BPA Study from NaturalNews.com

Did you know BPA is in store receipts and money?

Homemade Butter from Black Fox Homestead

I totally want to try making my own butter!

Well those were my favorites from this past week. If you like these, I have many more. Follow my pins at http://pinterest.com/planprepprovide/. More favorites will come next Monday!

 

 

Washing Cloth Diapers

I'm pretty new to cloth diapering. I love how much money it saves, but after just a couple of weeks, the diapers and inserts smelled like a urinary tract infection even after they were washed and dried. I've been searching online for how to wash cloth diapers and get rid of this gross smell, and it seems like everyone has their own routine that is different from everyone else. I've tried adding baking soda and vinegar, but it only helped remove the some of the smell.

I've finally found a routine that works for me, and it may work for you too. It takes longer than washing a load of clothes, but I don't mind. By the way, I am using Charlie Banana 2-in-1 cloth diapers and a high efficiency front loading washer.

1. Rinse the diapers with cold water and 2 Tbsp. of baking soda. I shake the baking soda over the diapers in the washer and use the rinse/spin setting.
2. Wash the diapers with warm water and 1/2 the amount of detergent as a normal load of clothes. I put my washer on the delicate setting with a heavy soil load. I also use a homemade liquid laundry detergent.
3. Rinse the diapers with warm water, 1/2 cup of vinegar, and 5 drops of lime or tea tree oil. The oil is optional, but I use it because it has antibacterial properties and makes the diapers smell pretty good. I put the vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser along with the oil.

The first time I tried this, I was smelling every single diaper and insert, and probably looked so crazy doing it. How sad is it that I got excited about the fresh scent of the cloth diapers?

Pizza Pork Chops

I'm so used to making pork chops with cream of mushroom soup, but tonight I tried something different, Pizza Pork Chops! These were so good.

• 6 boneless pork chops
• 2 small tomatoes, sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• italian seasoning
• garlic powder
• olive oil
• shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and place into a glass baking dish. Layer tomato slices over the pork chops. Liberally shake Italian seasoning and garlic powder over the chops, then drizzle with olive oil. Place a small handful of mozzarella on top of each chop. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes, or until the temperature reaches.at least 145 degrees. My thermometer read 160 degrees, and they were not overdone at all.

The nice thing about this recipe is that it is adaptable. I did not have fresh basil or oregano on hand, but you can substitute the seasoning for 1/4 cup of chopped basil and 1 Tbsp. of chopped oregano. You can also use 2 cloves of minced garlic instead of the garlic powder. Try provolone or parmesan instead of mozzarella. These would probably taste great with marinara sauce too!

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

I just started making laundry detergent at home instead of paying a ton of money for it at the store. Last time, I made a powdered detergent that lasted about 45 days. It worked great, but I recalled watching an episode of "19 Kids and Counting," (or maybe it was 18 kids back then) that showed their recipe for liquid laundry detergent.

Here's what you need:

• 4 cups of hot water
• 1 laundry soap bar, grated (I use Fels-Naptha)
• 1 cup of super washing soda
• 1/2 cup of borax
• a 5 gallon bucket with a lid

Combine grated soap with 4 cups of hot water in a saucepan on medium to low heat. Stir and heat until soap is fully dissolved.

Add Borax, super washing soda, and melted soap to the bucket. Fill the bucket with hot tap water. I used the sprayer from the sink on low to fill the bucket so the ingredients mixed well from the movement of the water. When the bucket is full, stir the mixture with a long handled spoon. Cover the bucket with the lid, and let the mixure sit for at least 12 hours.

The mixture will turn into a gel. After the 12 hours is up, uncover and stir again. Fill an empty laundry soap container half full of hot water. Finish filling with your soap mixture. Let the soap cool, and add essential oils if wanted (10-15 drops of oil per 2 gallons of soap). Shake your container before each use.

This recipe makes 10 gallons. In a top loading machine, use 5/8 cup per load, a total of 180 loads. In a front loading machine (like mine, which is also high efficiency), use 1/4 cup per load, a total of 640 loads! That means if you wash about two loads per day, this recipe will last almost a year! This is definitely a money saver.

I've been using this soap on my cloth diapers and it works great. I also figure if this recipe works for a family of over 20 people, it can work for mine. Again, this is the recipe that the Duggars use, you can see it on their blog here.

Did you like this post? Like me on Facebook for more ideas like this!

This post has been featured on Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways Blog Hop #36 and Deep Roots at Home 'EOA Link-up #45.

Royal Berkey Water Filter System Giveaway

Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd let you know about a giveaway on one of my new favorite blogs, Deep Roots at Home. Jacqueline is giving away a Royal Berkey Water Filter System through Bulk Herb Store. I'm entering the contest; I'd love to win one of these. We were looking into buying one so we always have clean drinking water, but I'm all for getting one for free too! For a chance to win, click below for more details. The chance to win ends Sunday, July 22 at midnight.
Enter to win a Royal Berkey Water Filter System with 2 elements valued at $283.00!

Very Berry Spinach Oatmeal

I make oatmeal for breakfast almost every day. However, it doesn't taste the same every day. This morning, I made Very Berry Spinach Oatmeal...lots of fiber in this breakfast!

• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 1 cup of low fat strawberry yogurt
• leftover pulp from Very Berry Spinach Juice

In a small pot, bring water to a boil. Add the oats, cover and reduce heat. Let the oats cook for about 10 minutes, stirring a few times to make sure the oats don't stick to the pot. When done, remove from heat and add yogurt and leftover pulp. Serves one adult and two small children.

Pinterest Monday # 4

It's that time again. Here's my favorite pins from this week:

No Sew, DIY Tee-Shirt Halter from WobiSobi

I love these kind of ideas for my t-shirts with holes in the armpits.

Explosive Shower Head Cleaner from Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways

I was wondering what the best way to clean my shower head would be!

Spinach Burgers from The Domestic Mama & The Village Cook

These look so good, and I bet the kids would even try them...don't think the husband will though.

Well those were my favorites from this past week. If you like these, I have many more. Follow my pins at http://pinterest.com/planprepprovide/. More favorites will come next Monday!

Removing Food Coloring From Your Skin

My oldest daughter enjoyed an activity today that involved some food coloring. She ended up with blue-green stains on her hands that didn't want to come off.

I did some research and found a natural way remove food coloring stains from skin. This is helpful for anytime you or your kids are working with food coloring, like dying Easter eggs.

In a small bowl, mix 3 Tbsp. of salt with 5 Tbsp. of lemon juice or vinegar to make a paste. Gently scrub the stain with some of the mixture. Rinse with warm water, and repeat until the stain is gone.

As you can see, the stains on her hands almost disappeared after this treatment. The fingertips were still slightly green, but much better than before!

Repurposing Baby Dresses and Pants into Toddler Tops and Capris

My oldest daughter was pulling all of her toys out of her toy shelf in her bedroom and found a size 12 month, brand new dress that I totally forgot about (probably because it had been hidden in the toys for so long). My youngest daughter is now wearing 18 month clothes, but can still squeeze into a 12 month. I was so disappointed, because the dress was so cute, and it didn't get worn as much as it could have.

Then I thought, this dress can just be paired with leggings and can make a really cute tunic top! Heck, even my oldest could probably wear this dress as a top. Hey! I bet I could go through all of the baby clothes I put away and find dresses that can be worn as tops for both girls!

So that's what I did. I didn't worry too much about finding tops for my 13 month old because her drawer is filled with clothes, so I searched for tops and bottoms for my 33 month old. She wears a 2T right now. I searched through her old 9 month clothes and found six tops (previously dresses) and seven pairs of capris (previously pants and leggings). We tried them on and they fit perfectly. They all kind of go together too, so I have multiple "new" outfits here for free! This was awesome, because I was recently thinking of buying her some new summer tops since she didn't have too many. Now, she has plenty.



Previously a short sleeved dress and jeggings, now a top and capris!

Why do we have to stick to the sizes on baby clothes and put away or sell all of the old ones? Save some money and repurpose those things. Reuse dresses as tops, and leggings as capris. Who cares what the tag says, if it fits, it fits! You'll also be excited to bring out those old favorites to see them again and bring back memories of her as a baby wearing those items.

I understand this probably isn't as easy with little boys, and I wouldn't know because I only have girls (for now). I'm sure there's a ton of sewing projects you can do with old baby clothes too, but I haven't ventured into that yet. Why? I might be having more children so I'd rather reuse them as intended and I only have very basic sewing knowledge.

How have you repurposed old baby clothes?

This post has been featured on Raising Homemakers Homemaking Link-up on July 25, 2012.

French Toastmeal

We eat oatmeal for breakfast all the time. I buy rolled oats in bulk, which in the long run, saves so much more money than buying instant oatmeal. It really doesn't take too long to make either.

The other morning I came up with an idea of combining French toast with oatmeal, and called it "French Toastmeal." We gobbled it up.

Here's what you need:

• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of rolled oats
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. cinnamon or nutmeg
• maple syrup
• powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

In a medium sized pot, bring the water to a boil. Add rolled oats, stir, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook for 7 minutes. Remove the lid and add the egg, milk, and cinnamon or nutmeg. Stir until egg is fully incorporated. Cover again and cook for another 3-5 minutes. When done, drizzle maple syrup over the oatmeal and sprinkle the with powdered sugar. Serves one adult and two toddlers, or two adults.

Next time I try this I might add 2 eggs so the oatmeal could be eggier, if that's a word. This recipe was good though, and I will definitely be making this again!

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Face Mask and Scrub

After looking through all of the DIY face masks on Pinterest, I decided to come up with one of my own. I'm so glad I did. This face mask is so good for your skin, a great exfoliant, and it smells like fall, my favorite season!

Here's what you need:

• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. used caffeinated coffee grounds

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl to form a paste. Apply to your face, scrubbing if you need to exfoliate. Let the paste sit on your face for 15-30 minutes, then rinse off. Be careful not to get any in your eyes! I don't know what would happen, but I don't think it would feel good. There is a mild burning/tingling from the lemon juice. If you have sensitive skin and it gets too hot for you then rinse it off right away. You probably don't want to use this mask as a scrub if you have sensitive skin either.

All of these ingredients are awesome for your skin. Pumpkin pie spice is made of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. These spices are anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-bacterial. Honey along with nutmeg can heal acne scars. The same goes for lemon juice. Coffee as also an anti-inflammatory and can reduce dark circles under the eyes.

Try out the mask and tell me what you think! Store the mixture in a sealed container, because this recipe will make about three applications. I kept mine on the bathroom sink, but you could probably refrigerate the mixture too to make it last longer.

This post has been featured on Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways Blog Hop #35.

DIY Body Sugaring FAIL

I found body sugaring on Pinterest, a supposed gentler way to remove unwanted hair from your body. I had all of the ingredients: sugar, honey, and water, so I decided to give it a go.

Man, what nightmare. I tried a recipe that involves microwaving the sugar mixture, since I'm too impatient to actually cook the sugar on the stove. I didn't use a big enough bowl, and since I don't like to stand directly in front of the microwave because of the radiation it puts out, I didn't see when the sugar mixture bubbled over the bowl.

What a frickin mess. There was scalding sugar and honey all over the outside of my glass bowl and on the glass plate of the microwave. In my attempts to clean it up, I ended up getting some sugar on the floor. However, I didn't notice this until my husband stepped in it and bitched about it.

So I wasted about half of my sugar mixture. That was okay, but I hate wasting materials of any kind. When my mixture was cooling, I was cutting strips of the sleeves of an old t-shirt I had previously repurposed into a tank top. I made these between 1-2 inches long. I also dusted my leg with arrowroot powder because they supposedly helps to ease the pain, yeah right.

Once my sugar was cool enough, I spread some onto my leg. I pressed a cotton strip into the sugar, pushed onto the strip downward with the growth of the hair, then I yanked the strip backwards, against the growth of the hair.

OWWWW!! It hurt like a sonofabitch, but I was excited to see the hairs on the cotton strip. However, my hands were already sticky from the sugar leaking through the cotton, and about half of the hairs came off that strip of my leg. So I would have to reapply again? Ugh.

I started another strip. Same process. This time it hurt a million times worse than the first one, and still only half of the hairs came off. That was enough for me. I know I'm a puss when it comes to pain, and I didn't think I could attempt it any more. Not to mention, I don't have tiny legs, so I was going to have to sugar my leg a lot more times.

I threw the bowl in the sink and ran some hot water into it. I was so mad that I wasted that good sugar and honey. I buy good stuff too, organic cane sugar and local honey. The recipe called for 1 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of honey, so that's a lot.

I rinsed off my leg in the shower about half an hour ago, and it still burns.

If you're brave enough, you can try it. It wasn't worth the time and mess and pain to me, but I know everyone has different thresholds of pain, and I can't take much. Here's where I found some sugaring recipes and a tutorial. Many people left great comments, so this has to work for some people, just not me.

I looked at some comments after my sugaring attempt and realized I should have cut my strips in half lengthwise. The shorter the strips, the easier to rip really fast and hard. My strips were really long so I could cover more hair, but I guess this was a mistake.

If you try this, good luck!

Pinterest Monday # 3

Wow, I can't believe I've been blogging for over three weeks now! Here's my favorite pins from this past week:

Homemade Tile Coasters from Sweet Anna's

I think these would make awesome Christmas gifts this year. I am definitely going to try making these.

A Stuffed Oven Mitt Baker's Gift from The Art and Soul of Baking by Sur La Table

Another gift idea. Can you tell I'm thinking Christmas in July?

Baby Shower Cake Wrecks featured on Pregnant Chicken

I laugh my ass off at Cake Wrecks, especially these baby shower cakes. I just found this blog and it's one of my new favorites. I suscribed right away. Amy is HILARIOUS and made me realize it's okay to drop a few swear words now and again.

Well those were my favorites from this past week. If you like these, I have many more. Follow my pins at http://pinterest.com/planprepprovide/. More favorites will come next Monday!

 



Does Your Daily Vitamin Contain Cyanide?

Chances are, it does. Almost all of the vitamins on the market, and a lot of vitamin fortified food like cereals and baby food, contain vitamin B-12 in the form of cyanocobalamin. Vitamin B-12 is found in nature as cobalamin, or methylcobalamin. However, pharmaceutical companies bind this natural B-12 element to cyanide, which makes it way cheaper to produce. The companies say it is not harmful, since the cyanide is being taken in such a small dose. To digest cyanocobalamin, your liver must break apart the compound to create the original methylcobalamin, leaving behind a cyanide molecule. This cyanide molecule is highly toxic, so your liver works harder to get rid of it...hmm, maybe using energy that this vitamin B-12 is supposed to be giving to you?

Taking cyanocobalamin is not going to immediately kill you or anything, but why take the chance of slowly poisoning yourself over time? There are vitamins that contain the natural form of vitamin B-12, you just might pay a little more for them. I always check my potential buys at the grocery store for cyanocobalamin, which is in a lot more foods than you would think, especially baby food. I'm also a big organic food buyer, and even these can contain cyanocobalamin. I know food companies need to make a profit, but I'm not about to let them profit at the expense of my family's health.

Here are the links to the vitamins I and my family use. Do a little research when picking out your next multivitamin. Also, shop around! You can probably find these vitamins cheaper than the link I'm giving you.

Dr. Sears MultiVitamin + D Mixed Berry Fruit Chews

Nature's Basket Women's Multi (found at Giant Eagle)

Mercola Children's Chewable Multivitamin

Also, here's some links to articles I like about this topic:

http://www.naturalnews.com/032766_cyanocobalamin_vitamin_B-12.html

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/99-vitamin-b12-market-contains-cyanide

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/cyanide/basics/facts.asp

My Favorite Cash Back Website: Ebates.com

Photo Credit: 401K 2012 on Flickr

I've been a member on Ebates.com for a long time, but I really didn't start using it until a year ago. I wish I was using it sooner! This is one of the only legitimate, no-strings attached, cash back websites that I've found, and it's so easy to use. You can earn up to 25% cash back from your purchases.

First, you create a free account. Then, any time you are going to make a purchase online, go to Ebates.com first and sign in to your account. Search for the store you want to buy from, and chances are, you will find it. Click on the store you want and Ebates opens a tracking ticket. When you make a purchase, Ebates will give you a certain percentage back from your purchase. Ebates does offer a toolbar you can download so you can still receive cash back if you forget to shop through Ebates first.

There are a ton of stores, popular ones too, that pay Ebates a finder's fee for sending purchases their way. Ebates then gives you a cut of that finder's fee if you shop through one of their links. Ebates will send you a check or credit you through Paypal every three months, as long as you have more than $5.00 earned in cash back. If you have $5.00 or less earned in a three month period, your balance will be carried over to the next. You don't have to pay any fees to receive your check either. If you choose, you can also send your cash back to a charity or family member.

Another way to earn money through Ebates is by referring friends and family. You can earn $10 per person that joins and makes a purchase with a minimum of three sign-ups. Ebates also has a online coupon program too, where you can use a coupon and receive cash back at the same time.

I do most of my holiday gift shopping online, so I always check to see if I can make a purchase through Ebates. The last amount of cash back I received was $99.29. Right now, I have $73.98 cash back pending. I would have made these purchases anyway, regardless of using Ebates or not, so getting this much cash back is awesome.

Go to www.ebates.com to check it out and see if you want to join. If you decide to join, please do so through my referral link on this post or by clicking on my Ebates button in my right sidebar. I will possibly get a referral fee, and any money I receive from my blog will go towards building our dream house.

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Click below to sign up with Ebates:

This post has been featured on Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways Blog Hop #34 and Growing Home.