How to Be Awesome at Making Pasta

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.  I am not otherwise compensated for my opinions.

For my birthday, I asked for a pasta maker.  Nothing fancy.  Just a simple hand-crank model that I can use to make basic pasta.  I mean, I know you can make really simple pasta without any kind of machine, and I've actually done it before, but it's a lot easier with a pasta maker.  This is the machine I got.

Of course, once I got my pasta maker, I couldn't wait to try it out.  Here's how it went.

Step 1: Enlist an Assistant

While it is not strictly necessary to have an assistant in order to make pasta, it does make the process far more interesting.  Plus, it's nice to have someone to catch the pasta as it comes out of the machine.  Bonus if they are tall enough to catch it without dropping it on the floor first!

Step 2:  Mix the Ingredients

I used this recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  She uses a ratio of 2:1 eggs to cups of flour.  I ended up having to add some water to mine because it was too dry.

You just put the flour on your counter or board or whatever, add the eggs into a hole in the middle and then start kneading.  It's a little messy, but this is apparently the super traditional way to do it, and who am I to mess with tradition?

Step 3:  Knead for a Long Time

You just keep kneading and kneading until the dough is smooth and not sticky.  If it's too sticky, add a little extra flour.  If it's too dry, add a few drops of water.  It's a very imprecise recipe, which bugs me as a perfectionist.  You'd think surely after literally thousands of years, someone would have figured out the exact measurements, but whatever.

Once it is a nice smooth consistency, let it rest for a few minutes.

Step 4:  Roll it Out

The great thing about a pasta maker is, not only does it cut the pasta into perfect noodles for you, it also rolls it out for you!  You just take a chunk of the dough and feed it through the rollers over and over, adjusting the setting to be a little smaller each time until it's really thin.

My helper was very good at this part.

Step 5:  Cut your Pasta

Once you've gotten it thin enough, you just roll your sheet through the cutting attachment to make your noodles.  The pasta maker I got came with an attachment that makes fettucini fetuccini flat spaghetti and vermichelli vermicelle worm pasta.  (Italian is hard!)  You can get additional attachments for other noodles, too.

Again, the machine makes this super easy.  Instead of stressing that my noodles aren't all the same width (don't even tell me that wouldn't stress you out), you just turn the handle and you're done!  

It is a bit of a challenge to figure out what to do with the pasta as it's coming out, because it's kinda fragile, so you don't want it to just crumple into a pile there on the table.  If you have an assistant, this is where they come in handy to catch the pasta as it comes out.

But you might have to convince them not to eat it.

Step 6:  Cook or Dry Pasta

At this point, if you are ready for dinner, you can totally just throw it in some boiling water for a minute or two and it will be ready.  Super easy!  

If you want to save it for later, though, you need to dry it.  The last time I made pasta myself, I literally had it hanging on all the cabinet doors and knobs in our apartment.  It looked a little silly.  I was more prepared for this go-around because I bought an actual pasta drying rack.

There is nothing magical about having a dedicated pasta drying rack.  It is just dowels, but it does work really well for getting all those noodles out of the way, even if it does bend them in half.

Also, it takes -f o r e v e r- to carefully place each individual noodle on the dowels.  That's probably the most time-consuming part of the whole thing.  Still, when it's dry, it turns a lovely golden color and it looks totally legit.

Then you can store your pasta in plastic bags and whenever your ready, move on to the best step...

Step 7:  Eat Pasta

If your pasta is dried, just boil it a couple of extra minutes, but still not as long as commercial pasta.  I made Alfredo sauce to go with mine, and it was amazing!  Just check out these pictures if you don't believe me!

So there you go.  Homemade pasta is totally a doable thing!  I think it would make a great gift, too, so if we're friends, don't be surprised if you open a fettuccine-shaped package on Christmas morning. 

How to Be Awesome at Making Unpaper Towels

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

I've seen this idea floating around Pinterest for a while, and it's always been on my "Maybe Do List."  They are paper towels that you don't have to keep buying!  All the convenience of having something you can grab off a roll in a hurry, but without all the waste of paper or money!   Sounds great!

I looked at just buying some, and there are some cute ones on Etsy, but they were pretty pricey, and rightly so for all the work it takes, but just not something I wanted to spend money on.  For a while, we just mainly used dish towels, because I have approximately seventy-three of them, and they work just as well.  And that's fine, but that means that my towel drawer is always jammed full, I never have enough places to hang towels, and it's still not as convenient as just tearing something off a roll.  Plus, it would be super cute to have a roll of unpaper towels that matched my kitchen colors!  Let's just be honest here.  That was the selling point.

Ok, so here's my walk-through on making unpaper towels.  For a much more professional and easy to follow tutorial, go to this blog, which is what I used.

Step 1:  Find your Fabric

You will need two yards of regular cotton fabric and two yards of terry cloth.  My kitchen colors are black and red, so I was excited to find two yards of an awesome black and red material in my stash!  I think I got it on sale at a craft store.

Finding the terry cloth was a little harder.  I really wanted black because it went really well with my colors, but also because I figured it would hide stains and messes the best.  This proved easier said than found, and I ended up ordering it online.

Step 2:  Prepare your Fabric

You have to wash and dry your fabrics, especially your terry cloth, or this will all end in disaster.

Trust. Me.

Step 3:  Assemble Your Supplies

In addition to your fabrics, you will also need scissors and/or a rotary cutter and mat (not necessary but very handy), a ruler or template for your squares, thread to match your fabric, and something to sew with.  (The tutorial I used just said to hand sew them, but I used my machine.)

     

You will also need snaps.  That's what makes these unpaper towels so cool.  They snap together to form a roll!  I thought about using velcro because it would be cheaper and easier, but it would be a mess in the washer/dryer and would probably ruin your terry cloth.  So snaps it is.  I went ahead and got a big pack of different colors so I'll have options for future projects.  You'll need something to put the snaps on with, too.  I got my stuff online.

     

Step 4:  Cut Your Fabric

If you've ever read my series about making my quilt, you know that I am the certified worst at cutting fabric.  Like, I have an actual certificate of worstness.

I'm terrible.

Anyway, so this was difficult for me.  I decided early on that the super easy "use a 12 inch square to draw on your fabric" idea in the tutorial was not ok.  I can't even remember why.  Maybe I thought it would mess up my fabric, or maybe I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see it well.  For whatever reason, though, I decided that I was going to very carefully measure each 12 inch square with a ruler and cut it with my rotary cutter.  

This was not at all easy.  The fabric kept moving, and I was on the floor so I was crawling all around trying to cut it from different angles.  I tried folding it so I could cut out several at once, but I couldn't ever get it just right, and it was taking forever, so finally I just gave up and cut out fifteen squares individually.  

All of this took about two hours.  I'm sure there is a better, much faster way, but like I said.  I'm terrible.

Then I had to cut out the terry cloth, which took another bajillion hours, and made a huge mess, because that stuff sheds like a tiny black dog and makes it look like your house is infested with really lazy ants.

Step 5:  Sew Them Together

The sewing part isn't hard at all.  Just sew one square of fabric to one square of terry cloth, right sides together, and leave a 4 inch gap so you can turn it right side out.  Then sew around the whole thing again.

You will probably forget to leave that gap at least once, so have the seam ripper handy.

Since there were fifteen unpaper towels, this just took forever.  I would get three or four done on a good day, and then I'd get busy and put everything away for a week before taking it all out again.  

My kingdom for a sound-proof crafting room.

Step 6:  Add Snaps

I was terrified of this part.  I was convinced it would be super hard and I would make a mess of it.

Much to my surprise, it was actually really easy!  You just stab the sharp end through the back of the fabric and then put the other end over it, pinch really hard with the special pliers, and that's it!  It's like magic!  They said to make a hole in the fabric first with the awl in the kit, but I only did that once and decided it was more trouble than it was worth.  The snaps are plenty sharp enough to go through terry cloth.

I did have a little trouble lining them up, and I ended up doing better just eyeballing it instead of trying to measure.  I just kept telling myself it didn't have to be perfect.  These are just for me, and they will be all rolled up, so no one will  know if they are a little imperfect.

You can barely see the black snaps in the corners.

Step 7:  Make Your Center

You need something at the core of your roll of unpaper towels, or it won't come off the dispenser easily.  (Ask me how I know.)  You can use a cardboard tube from an empty paper towel roll, or for something more permanent, you can get a piece of PVC pipe.  Eventually I might get Brian to make me a PVC one, but for now, I just used a leftover cardboard tube and poked the snaps right through without a problem.

Here's the finished product!

As a whole, I give this project a C+.  It took just really forever to do from start to finish.  Like, to the point where I kept giving up and putting it away for months at a time, and then coming back and trying it again and then giving up again in a horrible cycle for an entire year.  In the end, it took a motivational seminar to give me the resolve I needed to suck it up and finish these stupid things.  Also, because I am (see certificate above) terrible at the measuring and cutting aspect of this, the pieces don't line up perfectly when you snap them together, which bothers me as a perfectionist.

Oh, and I made way too many.  If you decide to make these, start with like, ten.  Or maybe like, five.  See how it goes first before committing to so many.

So the moral of the story is, if you find yourself wanting to make something like this, BUY THEM OFF ETSY, or stick some snaps on your dish towels and save yourself literally a year of having this project hanging over your head.

But, yay unpaper towels!

An Awesome Mad Lib for Every DIY Project Ever

This is my 100th post!  Yay me!

To celebrate, I thought I'd do something fun and different, so here is a mad lib for your reading pleasure.

How to Be Awesome at DIY (Verb ending in -ing)

First, it is important that you get organized, so you'll need to assemble all your (plural household item) and get a few (plural unusual and more expensive nouns) from (favorite store).

Second, you need to prepare your work space.  Clean out your (room of the house) with plenty of area to set up your (noun).  This space now belongs to (same verb ending in -ing) so you will not be able to use it for regular (activities) again for a while.  Adjust life accordingly.

Now you are ready to begin.  Start by taking your (household item) and breaking it.  This is a crucial step.  If something doesn't break during your project, it didn't really happen.  Also, make sure that you lose at least one (noun) and that another (profane adjective) (noun) for some reason does not function as it should.  Since you don't have a (obscure noun), which is crucial to success, you will have to make do by using a (completely unrelated noun) and rigging it so it will (verb).  This will most likely result in an injury to your (body part).  Have first aid available.

At this point you will need to stop and chose one of the following:

1. (Maternal verb) a crying baby.
2. Answer your (technology).
3. Take your toddler out of the (household storage area).
4. Let the (animal) out and then back in.
5. Cook (meal).
6. Pick up (family member) from (location).
7. Go buy more (small but important craft object).
8. Clean (substance) off the (part of house).
9. Watch (TV show involving crime).
10. Throw the (noun) across the room in (emotion).

After you have regained your (state of mind), you are now ready to finish your project.  Make sure to check Pinterest (number) times to ensure that you are doing it (adverb).  Right around now, you should be realizing that you totally skipped step (number), and you will have to redo your (deity)-forsaken project.  You might think about giving up, but remember, with all the money you save by doing it yourself, you will be able to afford (Choose one:  anger management/ /therapy/ /burn treatments/ /supplies for the next project).

When you have finished, take lots of pictures and put them on (social media network) so that everyone will know how (adjective) you are.  Enjoy the fruits of your labor in your (room of the house) or better yet, give it as a gift for (holiday).

Bonus (nouns) if you brag about it on your blog!

I would love it if you posted your completed stories in the comments.  I may even let the person or persons with the most hilarious stories pick a future blog topic as a reward.

Have a (adjective) day.

Random Pinterest Awesomeness

Here are some things I found on Pinterest that either save money, help me organize, or save time.  It's kind of a random assortment, but it's stuff I've been wanting to share, so here you go.

1)  Make Your Own Foaming Handsoap

This is an awesome trick to learn.  Basically, the only thing special about foaming handsoap is the pump.  Inside, it's just diluted soap.  So you can refill the bottles you have or go buy one at the Dollar Tree and then just put in 1 part Castille soap or dish soap and 3 parts water.  I put a couple of drops of tea tree essential oil in there, too, for disinfecting.

2)  Dry Erase Menu Board

This was one of my first Pinterest projects ever, and I still use it.  Just get a cheap frame, put a piece of scrapbook paper or whatever else goes with your decoration in the frame, and use the glass as a whiteboard.  I started off using it as a memo board like in the picture, but now I use it as a weekly menu board so Brian and anyone coming over can see what's for dinner!

3)  Sticky Note Goal List

This is a cool idea, and very cheap to make.  It's just boxes drawn on a piece of cardstock that you can use to put goals or a check list or phone numbers or whatever.  It's really cute, and I added the checkmarks underneath so that when I finished something, I had a bigger sense of accomplishment.

4)  Italian Dressing Mix

I've made other mixes and condiments and talked about them before, but this was a new one.  It's powdered Italian dressing mix, that you can either add oil and a few other ingredients to if you want to actually make the dressing or, more likely, use as a seasoning blend for chicken in the crock pot or in any recipe that calls for dry Italian dressing mix.  Works great!

5)  Homemade Deoderizing Disks

This is a super easy way to make little cubes of baking soda that you can use in your drains, diaper pails, or any other place you need odor control.  You basically just make a paste of water and baking soda, as thick as possible, and then put it in ice cube trays or molds and leave it until it's completely dried out.  Then you put the cubes in a jar or bag and use them as needed.  They're awesome!

6)  Bib Storage

The original pin said to put a 3M hook on the back of the high chair to store bibs, but that only held a few, so we tied a piece of cord across the back and it holds all of them!  Very convenient!

7)  Plate Holders for Picture Albums

This is one of my favorite Pinterest ideas ever.  I love my Shutterfly albums, and this is a way I can display them where people can see them instead of on a shelf somewhere out of sight!  I even found a couple of multi-level ones at a flea market recently for just a few dollars!

8)  DIY Car Organizer

9)  Plastic Hanger Chip Clips

This is one of those "duh" ideas that I'm sad I didn't think of.  We never had enough clips for bags of chips, pretzels, or whatever else, but I refused to go pay actual money for something so simple.  Now, I just get Brian to cut up a couple of cheap Walmart skirt hangers and we have all the chip clips we need!

10) Orange Candle

This idea does not save me money or help me organize in any way, but it is super cool.  It took a couple of tries to get it right, but if you peel a clementine orange with enough of the white part sticking up in the middle and add just a little bit of olive oil, it really will burn like a candle for quite a while.  Very neat.


Anyway, this was just a random list of things I've been wanting to talk about but haven't found a great place to put them yet.  Pinterest is a never ending wealth of ideas, so I'm sure there will be more soon!

How to Be Awesome at Home Ownership

We bought a house about two years ago, and we love it.  It's not huge, and it's a ways out of the city, but it's ours and it has a great backyard, a big garage and basement, and enough room for our simple life.  We love it.

But home ownership is more demanding than I anticipated.  No one really prepares you for this stuff.  After renting for literally all but two years of my life before now, it has really taken some getting used to. 

You have to fix it.

If something breaks, big or small, it's up to you to fix.  A stair gets wobbly: you replace it.  The toilet runs: you get a new set of toilet guts to go inside it.  Wasps build a nest of evil in your attic:  you climb up there and exterminate them like a boss.

Correction:  Someone you love goes up to the attic like a boss.

This is very different from the, "Call the Manager" approach to all problems I was used to.

The lawn does not mow itself.

Some people enjoy mowing the lawn.  But then, some people enjoy folding clothes (my mom) and some people enjoy doing dishes (al-Qaeda).  My husband, however, does not enjoy lawn care, so our lawn alternates ever couple of weeks between shaved down to the nubs ("Then I won't have to mow it again for a while!") and looking like the Serengeti.  Whenever he does mow it, the next morning there are always a hand full of confused animals looking around like, "Wait, wasn't there like, a forest here yesterday?"

You are always working on something.

A home is a lot like a scrapbook in this way.  You are never at a stopping point because you are always behind.  There are always twenty things on your to-do list, and as soon as you finish those, if you ever do, it's time to start the next one.  That's why I gave up scrapbooking.

Currently our home to-do list includes adding more insulation to the attic, remodeling the stairs to the basement, finishing our basement, adding a shelf to a cabinet in the kitchen, and building a back deck, just to name a few.  It never ends.

It is also awesome.

Being able to play Dance Dance Revolution at midnight is only one of the reasons a house is way better than living in an apartment.  Also, you can choose your own wall colors, not hear your neighbor's music (most of the time), and grill on your back porch.  And a fenced in backyard.  And more space.  And more windows.

So yeah, there are definitely pluses.  (I didn't want it to sound like I was complaining.)

But for all you first-time home buyers out there, just know that when you buy a house, you are also buying a new part-time occupation, a set of new weekly chores, a hobby, and a pet.  Congratulations.

How to Be Awesome at Making Bug Spray

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.

Bugs are my least favorite thing about summer.

Well, that and excessive heat.

Ok, and humidity.

Summer is not my favorite season.

Anyway, bugs are on my list of top ten worst things about summer.

Previously, I have just solved this problem by covering myself in whatever bug spray has the most DEET.  Mosquitoes, ants, and people with weak constitution start dropping when they got within five feet!  Awesome!

However, being afraid that my baby would also not be able to get within five feet of me, and definitely not wanting to use such harsh methods on her, I have been scouring the Interwebs for a different approach.

I found several, actually dozens, of websites that had "recipes" for home made bug spray, but what I have learned is this:  there is no perfect recipe.  It's all about finding some essential oils that are known bug repellents and mixing them with a carrier oil or other carrier medium since you aren't supposed to put most essential oils directly on your skin.

There are TONS of websites that can help you figure out which essential oils to use.  Some of the most popular bug repellents are:

Tea Tree
Rosemary
Catnip
Citronella
Eucalyptus
Lemongrass
Peppermint
Thyme
Lavender
Clove
Cedar

There are more, but that gives you some to go with.

If you are new to essential oils, here's a set that has several you could use for insect repellent:

Here's one blend that has a bunch of bug repellent oils in it:

Ok, back to making bug spray.  Interestingly, I recently learned that catnip is 10 times more effective than DEET and lasts much longer than citronella.   I also know for a fact that rosemary is effective against bugs because it is the one plant in my garden that NEVER has a single bug on it.  Whenever I pick herbs, the basil plants always have tons of bugs, and the rosemary is completely clean.  It's weird.

I already had some tea tree oil, eucalyptus, and lavender, so I went to the health food store to get a few more.  They only had catnip in like, distilled form instead of essential oil, but I figured it would be ok for what I'm using it for.  They were also out of citronella, which is a bummer, but not really surprising for summertime.

I also got some almond oil to use as a carrier oil.  I ended up using eucalyptus, tea tree, catnip, and rosemary.  (Oh, and my essential oils aren't fancy expensive brands.  They are whatever is at the store.)

I was unsure how much of each oil to use, so I went with 10 drops of tea tree and eucalyptus and 20 drops of catnip and rosemary.

The first time I tried to make this, I also used some apple cider vinegar, based on what one blog recommended, but I hated it instantly.  Every time I used the bug spray, I smelled like pickles the rest of the day, which is gross.  Also, I think the bugs liked the vinegar, because I spilled some, and the ants swarmed it by the next day.  Not a good sign.

I  made another batch without the vinegar, and it's much nicer.  I will say, the oil as a carrier means you are going to be kind of greasy.  I saw another blog that used witch hazel as a carrier, and I think next time I will try that.  It's good for your skin anyway, and it would be a finer mist in the spray bottle.

Of course, any time you are using essential oils, you should be careful to keep them out of reach of children and don't use them if you're pregnant because some can induce labor.

I was still skeptical of my bug spray though, and honestly, I didn't use it much for about a month.  Then, one evening recently, we were sitting outside while Cricket was playing in the baby pool.

We do baby pools right!

We were all just getting eaten up by mosquitoes!  I killed several on her and at least four on my legs.  Then I remembered I had bug spray, so I thought I would try it.  I put some on my legs, Brian's feet, and the back of Cricket's neck, and from that point on, none of us got a single bite.  Wow!  I guess it works!

What about you?  Have you made your own bug spray?  Let me know which combinations of oils you try and how they work!

How to Be Awesome at Sewing: A Reusable Sandwich Wrap

I was bored this week, so I decided to go through my "Stuff to Try" Pinterest board and find a new project.

I found three.

Million.

I did this one first, because I was able to get all the supplies for it easily.  The others, not so much.

Brian takes his lunch to work every day, so I thought it would be awesome if he had a reusable sandwich wrap.  It would save some money on plastic wrap and it would be an easy project.

I went through my box of fabrics and found a small piece of green fabric with leaves on it that I thought he would like.  I had to drive a million miles to the nearest Hancock's Fabrics to get green ripstop nylon, thread, and beige Velcro.  That's all the supplies you need, though!

(And yes, I realize that the greens don't really match well.  I'm colorblind.  Stop making fun of a disabled person.)

Just cut a 12 inch square of fabric and nylon, and a 3 inch piece of Velcro.

You want to sew your Velcro on first, so pin one piece on the corner of the fabric and one piece on the corner of the nylon.  I didn't pay attention to which side to do where, but when I do another one, I will put the rough Velcro piece on the nylon so it will be the one on top.  That just seems correct to me.

Using your machine, sew around all four sides of each piece of Velcro.  Then, as above, put the two pieces of material right sides together and sew around all four sides.  Just leave a gap in one side so you can turn it right side out.

Oh, and clip your corners before you turn it out.  I always forget that part.

Once you turn it right side out, sew around the edge again to make a nice decorative seam that also reinforces it.

That's it!  That's all there is to it!  It's just a square!  You just set your sandwich in the middle,

fold the two non-Velcro sides over it,

and then Velcro it together!

Tada!

Brian tried it out and said that it worked great.  I was a little worried that the seal wouldn't be airtight enough and the bread would get stale, but he said it was fine.  The bonus is that this doubles as a place mat which is great since he usually eats at a park or in the car, and the nylon is waterproof, so you can just wipe it down with a damp cloth.  You can also throw it in the washing machine if it gets too dirty.

Yay for awesome easy projects!  I think I'm going to make some more of these.  They would be great gifts, especially with Back to School around the corner!

How to Be Awesome at Making Tutus

I do not consider myself an overly girly girl.  I mean, I like to be feminine and whatever, but I don't really like the color pink or super high heels or gender stereotyping in general.  Cricket's nursery colors are yellow and blue, and most of her toys are gender neutral.

However.

I cannot resist the fluff and puff of a tutu on a baby.  I just cannot resist it.

I spent a lot of time drooling over tutus at the baby stores, but I never bought one because they were so expensive!  I mean, it's just tulle and elastic, and it's tiny!  Why does it have to cost $20?

So I decided to make one.

I got a pattern from the fabric store, because I'm type-A.

You don't really need a pattern, though, unless you just really want one.  You're basically just cutting rectangles of tulle.  A bunch of them.  I think for the 6 month size, you need about 75 or so strips.  I prefer using the tulle that you buy from the bolts, even though it means a little more work, because it's a little heavier to me, and it makes a fuller tutu.  I've done it with the tulle on the spools though, and it was fine.  Definitely easier.

The first one I made was for Halloween.

Cricket wore it to the pumpkin patch last year, and it turned out exactly like I wanted it to.  I was thrilled!

I made that one using a circle of elastic that I sewed together.  I used black and orange tulle, and alternated, two of each color at a time.  I folded the strips of tulle in half, slid the loop under the elastic, and then pulled the "tails" of tulle through the loop.  Over and over and over and over.  You can make one tutu in about the time it takes to watch a movie.  So easy and so cute!

The next one I made was for Christmas.

I made this one a little differently.  I used a white crocheted baby headband, but you could use any color.

For this one, I just pulled the strips of tulle through the holes of the headband (which was actually the waistband) and tied them.  I didn't like this style as well, because it wasn't as full, and the colors were harder to see.  I did like that you could tie ribbons on the band as well, though.  That was really cute, and it still turned out fine.  I just prefer the other style better.

So for her birthday, I went back to the first style.

Photography by Hannah Taylor

Isn't it awesome?!  I just loved all the bright colors.  In fact, you might remember that I used that same tulle for a lot of the decorations for her birthday party.

I'm not sure what kind of tutu I'll do next.  Now that she's older and more aware of her surroundings, she isn't always as open to wearing a big, fluffy, tickly skirt.  Still, there's just something about seeing a baby floating in a sea of tulle that just screams adorable to me.  

How to Be Awesome at Road Trips on a Budget

My husband and I love to travel.  We have family all over the country, so we have lots of reasons to travel.  Now that I'm not working, doing these trips on a budget is very important, and we've gotten pretty good at it.  We drove to a wedding in Maryland a few years ago when I was pregnant, and managed to only spend $100 per day, including gas, hotel, and food!

We also have a tradition: we visit a new state every year for our anniversary.  It doesn't have to be fancy, and a lot of times it is combined with other events or visits, but we have to at least spend one night in a new state every year.

We just got back from our anniversary trip this year, again averaging about $100 per day, and it made me think about some of the tips and strategies we have been using the last few years for our road trips to help save money.

1)  Drive

Obviously, since I'm talking about road trips, driving is going to be a given, but I put it on here anyway because, even with gas prices so ridiculously high, it's still the cheapest way to travel.  If I had my preference, we would take the train everywhere.  We've done two train trips, and they are definitely the most relaxing and fun way to travel.  Flying is my least favorite because in the last decade or so, they have sucked every bit of joy out of flying.  I only do it when there is no other option.

But driving is cool.  You get to see a lot.  You can stop whenever you want to.  You have lots of entertainment options, and of course, most importantly, it is cheap.  Even factoring in hotels if you have to break up the trip, it's almost always cheaper to drive.

One tip for getting gas a little cheaper:  don't buy it in big cities.   Drive outside the city and usually the price drops by ten cents or more.

2)  Bring Trip Food

This requires a little planning ahead, but it's totally worth it.  One of your biggest travelling expenses besides the hotel is food.  Instead of stopping at gas stations for snacks and fast-food restaurants for meals, try bringing your own food.

• Bring a few sweet treats like M&M's, gummy bears, or whatever else will make you feel like you're on vacation.  
• Bring something salty like chips, pretzels, or crackers.
• Bring a few healthier options that will stick with you, like trail mix, granola bars, muffins, and fruits like apples, peaches, or grapes.
• For meals, bring supplies to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (don't make them ahead or they're gross).  If you are not a sandwich fan (I am definitely not), you can bring chicken salad and crackers, celery and peanut butter, cold chicken, or other picnic foods.  (Stick cold stuff in a cooler.)
• If you decide not to bring meals, you can still save money by ordering just a sandwich or burger at a fast food place, and then using your own chips and drinks, or whatever else you want to go with it.  Burger King and Arby's both have decent dollar menus, and you can save quite a bit that way.
• Bring tons of napkins, paper plates, plastic silverware, Walmart bags for trash, extra empty ziplocks for wet/smelly trash, and wet wipes.

Here's a great blog post by one of my favorite food blogs for ideas on healthy snacks on the go!

Also, last week, One Good Thing by Jillee did a post on saving money on trip foods, too!  Check it out here, for more good ideas!

3)  Drinks

The cheapest way to drink on road trips is to fill reusable bottles like Nalgene bottles with water from home.

That is boring.  No one wants to drink just water on a road trip.

Your next cheapest option is to bring 2-liter bottles of your favorite drinks, along with some ice and plastic cups.  We usually do this one.  You can get 2-liters for less than a dollar, and you better not be able to drink more than one of those in one trip!  Keep the bottles in the cooler if you have space, and you won't even need tons of ice in your cups.  

Your third cheapest option, if you don't want to do that, is to buy fountain drinks at gas stations.  Not bottled drinks.  Fountain drinks.  They are usually like, $.75 for 64 ounces, which is about half the cost of a 12 ounce bottle at the same convenience store.  Bonus points if you get to stop at a QT where they have cherry and vanilla syrups at the fountain!

If you are in an area that has Kangaroo gas station convenience stores, you can also get a "RooCup" for $6.99, and then all summer long, refills on frozen drinks and fountain drinks are only $.25!  That's a pretty good deal if you use them a lot!

As a last resort, you can buy a six-pack of 12 ounce bottles ahead of time and put them in your cooler, but all the above options are cheaper than that.  

4)  Rest Stops

Rest stops are one of the things I love most about America.  I first started to truly appreciate them when we made a road trip with our foster dogs.  Rest stops are awesome.  Most (but not all, shockingly) have restrooms, picnic tables, an air conditioned inside area, and some even have cool stuff like free coffee.  (One time, we even got cider!)  They also usually have vending machines, but you don't need those because you already have all the snacks and drinks you need in your car.

These are great places to get out and have your picnic lunch, stretch your legs, and relax.  If you do all that here, you don't feel like you have to pay for a burger at McDonald's just so you can use their restrooms, and you don't end up eating your PB&J in their parking lot like a creeper.

5)  Hotels

Room accommodations are usually the most expensive part of a road trip.  Best-case scenario is getting to stay with friends or family at no cost.  This is not always possible, though.  It takes some work to find good places to stay that are cheap and also not crack dens.  (It's a fine line.)

Discount websites like Travelocity are usually good ways to find deals on decent hotels.  I can usually tell by reading the reviews and the chain name how good or bad a place will be.  Hotels dot com also has good deals, and they have a user-friendly policy on refunds or rebooking if you aren't satisfied when you get there.

State and national parks also have cabins and chalets that you can rent, and some even have hotels!  They are a lot cheaper than commercial rooms, and they usually have great amenities, not to mention the bonus of getting plenty of hiking trails, museums, petting zoos, lakes, and whatever else that park features.

If you're looking for something a little out of the ordinary, browse Groupon Getaways and Living Social Escapes.  That's how we found this last Bed and Breakfast we stayed in, and it was great!  You might have to be a little flexible with dates and even locations, but there are some great deals and some fun stuff!

6)  Entertainment

Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on shows, events, and fine dining, try some cheaper options.  We usually find local history sites like museums, state parks, or battlefields where you can have a fun time without paying lots of money.  If you stay at a Bed and Breakfast, they usually give a tour of the house, which is always interesting, and they can direct you to local attractions.  Aquariums are another great way to get a lot of entertainment for a smaller price.

We also bring books, games, and magazines with us so we can hang out in the hotel in the evenings and just relax.  Of course, watching TV is always fun for us, too, since we don't have cable at home.  We just don't feel like we have to be out "doing" something every second.  Vacations are for relaxing.

Again, planning ahead can help you here.  Google "Fun things to do in city, state" and you will probably find some great ideas.  I have used that technique on several of our trips!

7)  Food While You're There

Of course, you don't want to survive on granola and peanut butter during your entire trip, so save your trip foods for the ride back.  There are lots of cheap ways to eat when you arrive.

We usually pick one night to have a nice dinner, and the other meals, we find local cafes and diners or eat in our rooms.  

If you make sure that the hotel you choose has complementary breakfast, you know one meal is always free.  If you can find one that has a fridge and a microwave, you can stop by a grocery store when you arrive and pick up a few cheap foods to make for yourself in your room.  You can also keep leftovers in the fridge from when you do eat out and use them for lunch the next day.  Sometimes you have to pay a little extra for a room with these amenities, but it ends up saving you money in the long run.

8)  Plan Your Budget

No one likes to think about money and budgets even at normal times, but especially not on vacation.  Still, the best way to ensure that you stay on budget is to keep track of it.

Decide before you go how much you have to spend, how you would like to spend it, and then make sure you have a reserve in case something happens (like a car malfunction, a medical emergency, or just really needing to buy another souvenir).

Monitor your spending.  Keep track of receipts and card usages.  Use cash as much as possible because it makes it so much easier to see what you are spending.  If you have to spend more on something than you planned, adjust accordingly.

For example, when we went to Seattle for our anniversary several years ago, we ended up going to the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, which was one of our favorite destinations of all time.  However, since it ended up costing more than we had planned, we decided not to go up in the Space Needle.  It wasn't nearly as important to us as the awesome time we had in the Science Fiction Museum.

9)  Souvenirs

Everyone loves to buy souvenirs.  I love to buy souvenirs for myself and pretty much everyone I am on speaking terms with.  Sadly, though, that does not work with my current budget.

When we first got married, we decided we needed a "thing" to collect.  We chose magnets.  Wherever we go, we make sure to get a magnet to remind us of our trip.  (We have an awesome refrigerator.)

A lot of times, a magnet may be the only item we buy on a trip.  If we have extra money, we might get something else, but we don't feel like we have to.  We also don't usually get gifts for people from our trips unless we get one as a thank-you for watching Cricket or house sitting or something.  It's just not practical.

10)  GPS

This is not absolutely necessary, but it does actually help.  If you have a GPS, you don't have to stop and buy a map when you get lost.  You don't spend extra gas money wandering around looking for your destination, and you know your time schedule and how far to the stopping place, so you don't end up having to stop at a McDonald's and buy something just so you can use the restroom, only to find out you are two exists away from a rest stop!  You can also quickly find a hospital, car garage, or anything else you might need in a strange city.

11)  Take Care of Your Car

Make sure your car is in good shape before you leave, to avoid costly repairs on the road.  Check tires, oil, and that weird humming noise that just started last week.  Keep a tire pump in the trunk, along with jumper cables, and whatever other tools you are comfortable using.  The more you know about taking care of your car, like how to change a tire, the less you'll have to pay for.

(And I say all that as someone who knows absolutely nothing about cars, but whose husband is awesome at doing that kind of stuff.)

I hope this helps you save some money on your next adventure.  Road trips are tons of fun, and they don't have to cost tons of money.  A little planning and you can have a blast for just a few bucks!

And by the way, that B&B we stayed at was The Inn of the Patriots, and it was awesome.  If you're in the South/North Carolina border area, it's the perfect place to spend a weekend!

More Awesome Kitchen Staples

I've already done one post about making your own kitchen staples, but I realized that there were a bunch that I left out!  Here are some more basic food items that I make from scratch to save money and/or to cut out preservatives and artificial ingredients.  (The links to the sources are in the titles.)

Brown Sugar

I always laugh to myself when people talk about brown sugar like it's healthier than white sugar.  I think they believe it is raw sugar, which is not at all the same thing (and isn't really "healthier" anyway).  Brown sugar is nothing in the world but regular sugar and molasses.  That's it.  So simple.

As a side benefit, molasses is actually really high in iron, calcium, and potassium, so you are going to get more of those things eating it directly like this instead of the little bit you might get out of the bag of processed brown sugar.

The proportion is about one cup of regular sugar to 2 Tbs. of molasses.  Use more molasses if you want dark brown sugar, and less if you want lighter.  It does have a stronger flavor than the fake stuff, so you might want to start with less and see how you like it.  Just  keep stirring it until you get most of the clumps broken up.  It keeps pretty well in a canister.

*EDIT:  I should have mentioned that the least processed route would be to buy natural organic brown sugar, which is sugar before they take the molasses out in the first place.  It's more expensive, but definitely more natural.

Pizza Dough

I love this recipe for pizza dough, and I have used it to make breadsticks and calzones as well!

It is simple and tastes delicious, and I have started making it with whole-wheat flour, which makes it even better!

Bread Crumbs

I feel like such a dummy for buying bread crumbs for so many years after finding out how easy they are to make.  I always thought there was some secret to making them "taste right" or something.  No.

No no no.

You literally just put chunks of bread (stale works better) in the food processor and whirl away until it is crumbs.

That's all it is.

Somewhere, a Progresso CEO is swimming in a pool of money like Scrooge McDuck because I didn't realize that bread crumbs were literally just crumbs of bread.

Anyway, you can add spices like Italian Seasoning if you want, or just leave it plain.  Store it in a ziplock bag in the freezer so it doesn't go bad.  Ridiculously easy.

Instant Oatmeal

I got this recipe from one of my favorite blogs.  I make oatmeal for Cricket almost every morning, and this makes it so much easier, and without all the sugar and fake chemicals.  You basically just put some of the oatmeal in the food processor and blend it until it's a powder.  That makes it the right consistency.  You can add some powdered milk, salt, and sugar if you want too, although I usually leave most of that out.  I started making it for Brian to take to work, as well, and he loves it.

Salad Dressing

My favorite salad dressing in the world is a honey ginger dressing that you can only get in the refrigerated salad section of Publix.  It's a small bottle, though, and it's pretty pricey, so I went about trying to figure out if I could make it myself.

It was just the ginger dressing, though, and I think it would be better with honey.  It tasted pretty good, but it didn't keep terribly well, which was disappointing.

(And by "didn't keep very well" I mean that after about a week, it looked like something I cleaned out of the garbage disposal I wish I had, and it solidified to the point that it wouldn't come out of the bottle anymore.  It might still have tasted fine, but it wasn't something I was willing to eat, let alone serve to guests.)

If you know you're going to eat a lot of it soon, though, it's worth making.  Also, put peanuts on the salad if you use it.  You can write me a thank you note afterwards.

Chicken Stock

This is an awesome recipe.  I had made chicken stock a few times before, but it's such a pain and you have to let it cook for like, an hour or more.  This recipe is way better!  You use the leftovers from a rotisserie chicken:  bones, skin, everything.  Just throw it all in the crock pot with a few veggies, spices, and water at the end of the day and by morning, you have 12-14 cups of chicken stock!  I bag them in 1 and 2 cup portions and freeze them to pull out later.  Works great in a bunch of my favorite recipes!

Dried Herbs

I started drying some of my herbs from the garden, which makes me feel like Laura Ingalls.

I even had to buy a mortar and pestle for it!  How cool is that!?

Basil

Rosemary

I keep some of them on the stalk and crush some, since they are fresher before they are crushed.

My mom told me later that apparently you aren't supposed to use a mortar and pestle because it crushes them the wrong way (?!), but I think she is just trying to kill my joy.  Why do you want to kill my mortar and pestle joy, Mom?!

Tortillas

These are really easy to make, and way better for you than most store-bought ones.  I make mine with coconut oil most of the time, and they turn out great.  (Brian doesn't like coconut, so he would tell me if they tasted like it.)  I've also made them with almond oil and sunflower oil, and I think I like coconut oil best.  They are a little harder to work with when you use the thinner oils.  One batch makes twelve.

Speaking of tortillas...

Pitas

I also started making my own pitas, which are way cheaper to make yourself and taste great with homemade hummus!  It's another very simple recipe, and they freeze well, too, so I normally freeze half the finished pitas for later.


Hope you enjoy these!  Let me know if you try any of them, or if you have any kitchen staples you like to make.