Making sense of business expenses

How I keep up with business expenses 

1. Keep every receipt from any expense that you incur for your business.
 Here are some examples:
- Gift bags for delivering products
- Items needed to make gift baskets
- Hostess gifts
- Lacons, sample containers, spatulas, etc.
Basically anything that you wouldn't have normally bought or could use for other purposes such as buying a skirt or fingernail polish..something like that. (Unless you're giving those items away as a hostessing gift, raffle, etc.)

2. Buy a notebook ( business expense..keep the receipt)
 and a small pouch or heck even a ziplock would work. 
 During the month stick all of your business expense receipts in the pouch. At the end of the month set aside a time to get them all out and put them in the notebook.

So if I started my business in June for example I would write " June 2014" on the top corner of the page and I typically tape them onto the page and write out the total amount I spent next to the receipt and what it was for.
then proceed to put all of my June receipts in order in the notebook.
 Ex:
Dollar Tree
$5.18
Basket Supplies

Then once that month is done you start over with the new month. I've found this usually keeps me on track and able to have everything in order for tax time. It also makes it easier to be able to know at a glance if you're in the good with expenses vs income.

A few other tips: 
- Whenever you're finished putting in all of the monthly expenses, total them up and write the total in parenthesis next to the month in the upper right hand corner, it'll make everything more streamlined during tax season.
- When a notebook is filled put it in your business binder ( more to come later on that one) or whatever safe spot you keep your other tax records
- If you've got questions over what is or isn't considered a business expense check out the official IRS business expense page

Like I said before, the notebook method works for me, but if you're more a fan of the digital life. You can always scan the receipts and keep track of them and any expenses on your computer using Excel or THIS awesome free tool.

5 Easy And Fun Ways To Mentally Unwind

I don't know about you guys but it seems like I'm still running around like crazy even though the "hustle and bustle" season is supposed to be over. We have weddings, baby showers, doctor appointments, job responsibilities, munchkin duties, and a million other things that have me running around and exhausted all.day.long.

 I have so much going on in my crazy brain that even when I do get a few minutes to myself it's hard to relax and "power down". Instead of recharging, I'm mentally going through my calendar, to-do list and hopping from one thing to another. That got me thinking and I began digging around the internet in a search to find some ways to really relax. Some ways to mentally unwind. Without further ado, here is my top five favorites:





1. Visit Pinterest and go to the art category. Snuggle up on the couch and take time to scroll through the various works. Don't try mentally placing them in your home or picking which ones you'd buy...this is a mental escape remember. Just simply look and enjoy them. Let yourself wind down looking at the pieces from paintings to photographs and everything in between. Artist: Scott Naismith

2. Plan a pretend vacation. Visit Carnival and chose which restaurants you'd visit and which spa packages you'd want. Cruise not your thing? Plan a Gatlinburg mountain getaway or a Yellowstone vacation. Have fun with it....pretend you can only pick one restaurant to eat at or one show to see, which one would you chose? Which geyser would you be MOST excited to see and which trails would be on your "never ever attempt" list? Which vacation spot would Aunt Shirley be most excited about? Which one would the Hubs be most excited about? The point is to take your mind off real life and have a little fun pretending.


3. Do you consider yourself a fashionista? No?Well...me neither, but I do like visiting Polyvore. It's a neat little site that lets you design outfit sets and create fashion looks with almost any article of clothing out there. It's a fun way to spend some time and come up with an outfit look for that office party or playdate. If you're not feeling particularly creative you can always browse the creations of others and find some chic new looks. It's sort of like the Pinterest of fashion. Made by vintagenerd8 

4. If you like reading half as much as I do try out Goodreads. You can rate your recent ( and older) reads in as little ( star ratings) or as much detail as you like. You can also take quizzes, chat with other book lovers, ask authors questions, and the best....find your next favorite book with their in-depth recommendations list. I LOVE to visit this site and just add books to my virtual "to read" bookshelf. It's nice to have the list handy whenever I do have the time to visit a bookstore or buy one online.




5. Print out some Adult Coloring Pages ( NO...not THAT kind of adult, get your minds out of the gutter!) sharpen some colored pencils and go make something pretty. These pages are easy to print out and within minutes you can be relaxing and letting your inner child be free.

So there you go, those are my favorites. What are some things that help you mentally unwind? What are your favorites? 

17 Amazing DIY Home Cleaning Recipes

1. Homemade Laundry Detergent by Sew Much Ado

I've made this recipe dozens of times and I love the way it makes my clothes smell and how clean it gets them! I sometimes add two or three drops of either  Lavender or Lemon essential oil while I'm grating the fels-naptha to give it an extra wonderful smell.






2. Super Shower Cleaner by Picklee

I've seen other places that say to just spray a similar mixture on the shower or bath and simply rinse, but those never worked for me. This recipe was the only one that actually said to leave it sit and boy did it work! I didn't even have to break my hand scrubbing the gunk around the bottom. Also, she has another cleaning tip for the glass doors using a lemon that I am here to tell you...works magic!







3. Reusable Peppermint Kitchen Wipes by One Good Thing By Jillee

I cannot say how much I adore these wipes! They smell amazing and it makes me feel so much better about wiping my counters down with something I know isn't filled with chemicals and is safe for my little one. Plus they're reusable, which makes them a thousand times better!








4. Polish Wood Naturally With Essential Oils by Me!

I've slowly started getting everyone I know hooked on polishing their wood naturally. Trust me on this one, you'll love the natural smell and love how great it makes your wood look! This recipe uses Wild Orange essential oil, but I've also used lemon successfully.





5. Dishwasher Detergent Tabs by One Good Thing By Jillee

I've been using this recipe for weeks, and I love my dishes. The only change I would make is that I used apple cider vinegar in the mixture and a splash of distilled white vinegar before I wash. It has made a huge difference in my dishes. Also..I've noticed that if I skip the vinegar there tends to be some residue so don't skip it people!






6. Orange All Purpose Cleaning Spray by Petit Chef

I was SO skeptical about using vinegar as a spray, I did NOT want my house to smell like a pickle factory. So on a whim I tried this recipe and I was happily impressed. The smell of vinegar is almost completely removed from the mixture when you let it sit for a few weeks then when you use it any traces of the vinegar smell dissapears completely after it dries.








7. Deodorizing And Bacteria Killing Toilet Bombs by Maria's Self

Alright, I haven't made this yet but I am DYING to! If you look on her website she also lists tons of other uses for these toilet bombs. This is SO creative, and of course I love anything that I can drop into the toilet, clean the rest of the bathroom and then scrub and done.







8. Lean Green Floor Cleaning Machine Solution by A Lovely Mess

I use this when I have company coming over, I LOVE how beautiful it makes my floors and the only thing I would change is adding Lavender essential oil into the mix. It leaves just the right amount of lingering scent.






9. Homemade Oven Cleaner by Couponing To Disney

While this recipe didn't leave my oven *sparkling* clean it did clean better than my old commercial cleaning spray and it didn't gag and choke me, so it's definitely a win-win. Let me know how it works for you!

10. DIY Liquid Hand Soap by One Good Thing by Jillee

Ok, I'm not obsessed with her...ok yes I am. I can't help it though, she comes up with amazing DIY stuff, like this soap. However take this little tip: after you let it sit overnight mix it up with a mixer for a while....it will look like snot (sorry), but after about 15 minutes it'll turn silky smooth, and make your hands super soft!







11. Homemade Fabric Refresher by Northern Cheapskate

I tried to make my own, but I didn't think to use vinegar and mine didn't turn out well. I had a DUH moment when I read this post and promptly made my own batch. It really worked wonders, the the only thing I did different was make one batch her way using Snuggle and another batch with Lavender essential oil for our bedroom and the baby's crib. I LOVE it!

 12. DIY Microfiber Duster by DIY Home Sweet Home

I am SO glad that I learned how to sew, because now I can make this! If you've ever used microfiber cloths you know how well they trap dust and this tutorial on how to make them into a reusable swiffer-like one is perfection! LOVE it!







13. Stainless Steel Cleaner  by Passion For Savings

I don't have that much stainless steel in my house, but what little I do have this recipe made sparkle. Let me know how well it works on larger pieces!

14. DIY Window And Glass Cleaner  by Fabulessly Frugal

OK, I never in a million years would have put cornstarch into a glass cleaning recipe, but thank goodness she did because this stuff is awesome. The best part is so smelly fumes or harsh chemicals! 





15. Microfiber Couch Cleaner by Plant Therapy

I do not have microfiber couches, but my brother does and when I found this recipe I sent it straight to him! I also loves that she adds an essential oil blend into her mix ( similar to Spark Natural's Shield Blend ) so the couch is also sanitized as well as cleaned! Great thinking!








16. Leather Couch Cleaner by Fabulessly Frugal

I do not have leather couches either, mainly because I have a toddler who thinks our fabric couch is a jungle gym. So until she learns what no means we're not going this route...anyways..if you DO have leather here is a great DIY cleaner!








17. Homemade Carpet Cleaner by Me!

This was just too easy to make into a blog post, it's 2 cups of baking soda and about 3-4 drops of an essential oil of your choice, mixed and sprinkled onto your carpets. Let the mixture sit for about 10-15 minutes then vacuum up! I also use this mixture on my fabric couch cushions!

Planning meals two weeks at a time

1. Brainstorm a list of 14 meals.
They can be new meal ideas, old trusty favorites, and as simple or as complex as you would like. Just be sure that they will be ones you're open to cooking and the family is up to eating. I also try to stretch my ingredients out as much as I can. For instance if you're cooking something like hot dogs you can split the package and cook half in a weenie spaghetti or use half a pack of rice for beef stew and the other half for fried rice. Try to stretch them out and design your meals to work together.


2. Get on the computer and make a list 
Begin to write down a list of every ingredient you will need, including little stuff like salt and pepper. If you're cooking from a brand new recipe you've just found online simply copy and paste it onto your list. If I have two meals that need the same thing I write it like this:

Lettuce X 3  - That lets me know I'm using lettuce for three different meals so when I get to the grocery store I don't just buy one.



3. Print the list out and visit the pantry and fridge
Your list is probably huge but that's ok (don't let it scare you) because the next step is going to the pantry and crossing out anything you already have...which will usually eliminate a good bit ( sugar/ketchup/salt, etc). In the lettuce situation above, if I went to my fridge and saw I had a head of lettuce already in there I would just cross out the X 3 and leave "lettuce" so I still know I need it, just not that much anymore.




4. Take your list and shop
Your list should be everything and anything you need for TWO whole weeks of food. Once you have everything there's no more worrying over if you have an ingredient or what's for dinner. Everything is already there...saving you time and stress.



Tips:
 -Keep your storage space into consideration. I don't have a very large freezer so I don't plan a lot of meals  together that need large quantities of frozen chicken or ground beef.
- Add in leftover nights to make your meals stretch out even longer
- Remember that it doesn't have to be a production, there's nothing wrong with a grilled cheese night.
- I use a Meal Calender to show what options are available to cook. I don't always cook what's listed on Monday on Monday so it's nice to see what options are there and which ones we've used already. You can find that printable HERE
- If you're neurotic like me and want to write down your final grocery list without the scribbles ( don't judge me) you can find a cute little grocery list HERE

Here are a few of my FAVORITE weekday meals that we're currently loving to cook in my house:

Lemon Chicken
Fancy Hot Dogs
Monterey Chicken
Cheese Potato And Smoked Sausage Casserole
Baked Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Chicken Fried Steak
Beef Stew
Smokey 15 Bean Soup With Sausage
Taco Salad
Apple Cinnamon Pork Chops
Sloppy Joes



Don't mind me...Just linking up at these fabulous places dearies. 
Serenity Now