Countrified Hicks: pinterest

Showing posts with label pinterest. Show all posts

Monday, February 5, 2018

My Most Popular Pins for January

Pinterest is one way I drive traffic to my blog. I get a lot of activity from there and my most popular "pins" for the month of January are as follows:

1. How & Why to dehydrate Aloe Vera. On my blog itself, this post got 3000 views in the first 30 minutes it was up; and 8,000 total views the first week.

Pinterest, recipes on pinterest, pintastic, most popular pins on pinterest, dehydrating aloe vera, most frugal living tips,

2. 35 of my Most Frugal Living Tips.

3. Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies. Soft, chewy & delicious.

4. 75 Pantry essentials every cook needs.

5. Blueberry Biscuits. Yes, they are as good as they sound.

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Wednesday, January 10, 2018

My Most Popular Pins of December

Most bloggers use Pinterest to share their blog content with and I am no different. Pinterest is a great way to grow your following. For the month of December, here are my most pinned posts. To visit each post, just click on the "name".

1. Chicken and Rice Soup Mix-in-a-Jar

Pinterest, most pinned recipes, most popular posts on pinterest,

Chicken and Rice Soup Mix-in-a-Jar

2. Cake Mix Pie Crust

Cake Mix Pie Crust

3. Dr. Pepper Shredded Chicken in the Crock Pot

Dr. Pepper Shredded Chicken in the Crock Pot

4. Dehydrating Marshmallow Peeps

Dehydrating Marshmallow Peeps

5. Old Fashioned Beef Stew

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

If you make this recipe, snap a pic and hashtag it #countrifiedhicks — We love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter!

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I shared this post with the following blogs:
Southern Plate
Marilyn's Treats
Tuesdays at Our Home
Back 2 the Basics

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Happy New Year

     2014 was a good year and I appreciate all of y'all for being along for the ride.
    In 2014, I did 155 blog posts (which averages out to one blog post every 2 1/2 days)...not bad.
    In 2013, I had 134 different countries visit my blog and in 2014, 169 visited for a gain of 35 new countries.
     I have gained 347 new Pinterest followers this year; 1632 new linkedin follwers; 51 new Youtube subscribers; and 684 new g+ followers. I joined Instagram just a few months ago and already have 200 followers. On my FB page, at the beginning of January 2014 I had 5100 followers. Today, I have just over 16,000 fans. What an amazing year to gain over 10,000 fans. I am so blessed.
    What does 2015 have in store for us? Stick around to find out.
Happy New Year everyone!!!

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Friday, January 11, 2013

How to save money

Recently, I received an email from a follower who needed some money saving ideas. Many of them I have posted before but came up with some more and decided to post here for everyone. If you have an idea that is not here, please leave a comment. Let's help each other save some money.

Try to limit your driving. Your hubby driving to work is a necessity but if you need to drop off mail, go to the library, pay a bill, or go to the grocery store, have him do these things on the way to work or on the way home to limit your gas usage.
Also, NEVER buy from a convenience store. Plan ahead so you don't have to buy overpriced items there.
If you or your hubby buy fountain drinks, coffee, etc. stop. Pack a thermos. Buy a 2 liter of soda and fill up a cup with ice and pop from home. If you can, cut soda out of your diet. Drink iced tea, coffee, etc. A lot cheaper.
For snacks, instead of microwave popcorn, buy a bag of unpopped popcorn and cook it on the stove. A bag is a dollar and can make TONS of popcorn with it.
Try to go to the grocery store once a month or every 2 weeks. The more you go to the grocery store, the more you end up buying. Make a list and stick to the list. Don't splurge shop. Eat before you go and look only for items on your list.
Instead of buying cookies, buy some chocolate chips or peanut butter and make your own.
If you really are struggling, cut off the cable and cell phones. Get a straighttalk phone and plan from wal-mart. $30 for 1000 minutes or $45 a month for unlimited.
To lower your water bills, drink from the same glass all day long and wash it only at night (instead of using a different one all day). Some families only flush after a bowel movement and close the lid at all times.
Wash clothes only when they are truly dirty. If they are a bit musty, throw them in the dryer with a dryer sheet for 15 minutes to freshen them. Or in the warmer months, wash your laundry outside and hang on the line to dry like we do here.
Check your dryer often. Don't overdry the clothes and waste electricity.
If you use a dishwasher, turn it off before the end heat cycle and let the dishes dry naturally to save electricity.
Make your own dishwasher soap, fabric softener and laundry soap. This saves a LOT of money.
Instead of buying boxed mac and cheese, rice-a-roni, etc. Buy rice or pasta and make it yourself. You get a lot more for your money and it tastes better too.
Make your own bread and pizza's instead of ordering out or buying frozen. Tastes so much better!
Use freecyle. If you need a dresser, clothes, or whatever, post to freecycle what you need and see if you can get it free first. You'd be surprised.
If you have stuff to sale, take it to a consignment store or even better, post it online on Facebook at your local "garage sale" page. For example, for my area "Talihina yard sale page, or Leflore Country yard sale page". You can sell about anything. Your jeans that don't fit anymore and you get more than you would at a consignment shop or garage sale generally.
Buy generic. Check labels and if it is the same, buy it cheaper. Check wal-mart's 88 cent aisle for cheap meds. They have alcohol, aspirin, ibuprofen, cold meds, etc. for 88 cents. Ask pharmacy people to direct you to them.
Instead of your hubby buying lunch, send him a lunch to work. It doesn't have to be just a sandwich. Get creative. Most employers have a refrigerator and microwave so you can send just about anything. Add a little love note in with it to really brighten his day!
Buy bagged potatoes and use for side dishes instead of box items. Make french fries, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, etc. It is more work but you get a lot more for your money. Also, if potatoes or onions are on sale, put them in panty hose and put them in your closet. They can save like that for up to 9 months.

That is how you do the onions and potatoes. Tie a knot between each one and cut off one when you need it. I tie 3-4 potatoes together though instead of individually. Also, if you buy a green pepper or onion and you don't use it all, dice it up and freeze it in a baggie for next time so you have no waste.
Cutting down on sodas and eating out will save you the most. Before you buy anything, ask yourself if you really need it or if you have to eat out, do you need a $8 meal or can you buy a $1 burger from McD's to hold you over until you get home. Or hey, your kids want a bag of Doritos. They cost $4.00. Is it worth $4 or say "hey, let's buy a bag potatoes (for french fries) and a pound of hamburger meat and we can have hamburgers and french fries for the same cost". When I am out and think about buying a fountain soda, I always ask myself, what else could I use that $2 for? Makes you really reconsider purchases.
As far as clothes, shoes, etc. buy used when you can or get it free from freecycle. Shop 2nd hand stores, etc.