Saving a little while washing dishes

Okay, so I don't always do the dishes like right after a meal. When I do get around to doing them, I fill the sink and soak the dishes for a few minutes. When I'm loading the dishwasher I don't turn the water back on. I just use the water already in the sink to scrub and rinse the dishes. I use the same water to clean my counters. So instead of letting the water run and pouring soap on a sponge repeatedly, I only use one sink full of water, and just the small amount of soap that went in it.

Keeping Carrots and Celery Fresh

When you bring carrots home from the store, if you cut the tops off of them they will last much longer. The stem soaks up all the water from the carrot, and that's why they get limp after a couple of weeks in the fridge. I learned this from the little tip section in a cookbook--really helpful place to find good info!

Celery will keep for weeks and weeks if you wrap it in foil. Don't make the mistake I did though, rinse them and leave a damp paper towel in there with the celery sticks. (found that nice little surprise today)

Free Books for Kids!

This was posted on my Moms board that I'm on.

Cloth diapers, cloth diapers, cloth diapers!!!

I started cloth diapering when my oldest was about 16 months old. I wondered if it would be worth it, because I didn't know if he would potty train soon. That was one of the best investments I've ever made. I bought two dozen premium chinese prefolds and 6 large proraps. I spent about $50 on that first order. I later ordered 6 extra large proraps, to keep up with him as he grew. He actually didn't potty train until right around his 3rd birthday. Then when the second baby came along I bought a dozen infant prefolds and some small/medium proraps. I spent about $100 total on cloth diapers. When some friends heard that I was cloth diapering they gave me snappis (these really cool devices that replace old fashioned diaper pins), liners for my diaper pail, and some more diapers. My 2-year old wears one diaper at night, and we use the original ones that I bought. We hope to have more kids and we'll use them again. I estimate that I've saved a couple thousand dollars in diapers.