with all that I've been given

2015 book list

2015-12-31T06:00:00.000-06:00

I'm popping in from my longest blog absence ever because I wanted to continue my tradition of posting my book list--this is list #6 and my lengthiest yet. I read a dozen more books this year this usual. I find solace in books, and with a lot of hard things happening this year, reading became an even more valued outlet.

Here are the titles I read in 2015:
1. Desperate by Sarah Mae and Sally Clarkson
2. Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford
3. Growing Up Duggar by the Duggar sisters
4. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
5. Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung
6. Family Feasts for $75 by Mary Ostyn
7. Getting Things Done by David Allen
8. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez
9. Don't Make Me Count to Three by Ginger Plowman
10. Deep Down Dark by Hector Tobar
11. The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst
12. Essential Oils for Beginners by Althea Press
13. Mom Enough--edited by Tony and Karalee Reinke
14. Plenty by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon
15. Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less by Pia Catton and Califia Suntree
16. May B. by Caroline Starr Rose
17. Go Green, Save Green by Nancy Sleeth
18. Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman
19. 12 Secrets to Staying Calm in a Crazy World by Glenn Van Ekeren
20. Where the River Ends by Charles Martin
21. The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila
22. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
23. Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova
24. Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay
25. Confessions of an Organized Homemaker by Deniece Schofeld
26. The Hardest Peace by Kara Tippetts
27. The Skinnytaste Cookbook by Gina Homolka
28. When Cricketes Cry by Charles Martin
29. Small Victories by Anne Lamott
30. Scary Close by Donald Miller
31. Wild by Cheryl Strayed
32. You and Me Forever by Francis and Lisa Chan
33. Paris for Lunch by Elizabeth Bard
34. Eat Smart, Walk Strong by Leslie Sansone
35. The Beautiful Daughters by Nicole Baart
36. The Sacred Year by Michael Yankoski
37. Under the Overpass by Michael Yankoski
38. So Much Sky by Karen Weir-Jaimerson
39. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
40. Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker
41. I Have Nothing to Wear by Jill Martin and Dana Ravich
42. The Wild Truth by Carine McCandless
43. Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans
44. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
45. The Fringe Hours by Jessica N. Turner
46. Comfort Me with Apples by Ruth Reichl
47. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
48. From Tablet to Table by Leonard Sweet
49. Nourished by Becky Johnson and Rachel Randolph
50. Water from My Heart by Charles Martin
51. Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan
52. Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy
53. Let's All Be Brave by Annie F. Downs
54. Just Show Up by Kara Tippetts and Jill Lynn Buteyn
55. Amy Knapp's Family Organizing Handbook
56. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
57. A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes
58. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Sloot
59. Delancey by Molly Wizenberg
60. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
61. Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton
62. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
63. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
64. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
65. For the Love by Jen Hatmaker
66. We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
67. Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan
68. The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle
69. A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
70. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
71. Glamping with MaryJane by MaryJane Butters
72. 50 Dates in 50 States by M.L. Brocklehurst
73. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (read-aloud with my girls)
74. Nobody's Cute than You by Melanie Shankle
75. Living Well, Spending Less by Ruth Soukup
76. Home is Where My People Are by Sophie Hudson
77. Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

I so enjoy seeing the complete list and take pride in how eclectic it is. Books are such a treasure! I'd love to hear if you've read some of these, or if you want to, or if you have any titles to recommend for next year's list. Happy New Year!

Frugal accomplishments

2015-09-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my frugal accomplishments from the past two weeks:

*We purchased a secondhand TV for a very good deal--it's something we'd been thinking about for a long time, the price was right.
*I gave haircuts to Eric and Nathan
*Grocery deals: cheese, lemonade mix, and salad dressing for about $1 each after stacking store and manufacturer cpns; snack mix for 74 cents/bag (sale and cpn, reg. $2.99 each); purchased an 8-pack of hamburgers for a reasonable price and the store was running a great deal where you got an 8-pack of brats for free
*Harvested plenty of garden goodies, though tomatoes and green beans are slowing way down
*Made bran muffins, better than Pam, granola bites, apple pie filling, and apple cider (Look at my Monica-style photo!)

*Received a bag of girls clothes from a friend, and in turn, brought two big bags to a friend of mine
*Scored vitamins on an amazing deal--thought they would be 50% off, and they rang up even lower, so I bought two bottles instead of one
*Hosted a home party, and used those discounts to buy some items I've been wanting, as well as a couple gifts; also, it was a fun surprise that I got to keep the leftovers of the food that was served
*Stopped by a store that was having clearance and bought a few food items at really great discounts (cake mix for 45 cents, for example)
*Checked out a nearby thrift store, and found a couple items I was looking for. I had a $1 off coupon to sweeten the deal.
*Cooked a pound of pinto beans
*The older kids are participating in a free trial hockey program--will post a pic next time. They look so cute in all the gear!
*Made the most delicious apple crisp, and I promised Monica I would post the recipe. This is courtesy of my dear friend, Patricia, and this recipe* was instrumental in her wooing her husband, so they handed it out at their reception a couple years ago! Enjoy. It will now be my go-to apple crisp, replacing the previous version I'd been making for years.

4 c. diced apples
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. softened butter
1 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. water

Preheat oven to 375. Placed apples in buttered 8x8 dish, and sprinkle with some of the cinnamon. Drizzle water over apples. Cream butter, sugar and flour together and sprinkle mixture over apples. Sprinkle more cinnamon on top. Bake for 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream.

I'd love to hear about your frugal activities!

*As with all recipes, I made a couple minor changes to the original, but I've printed it here as I made and loved it. =)

Frugal accomplishments

2015-09-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my frugal accomplishments from the past two weeks--I'd love to hear some of yours!

*I ordered a magazine subscription with some rewards points
*Made fajita seasoning, corn dog muffins
*Won a free paring knife at a home party for bringing a friend along
*Grocery deals: 5 lbs. potatoes for 79 cents (sale and C51), cereal for $1.29/box (sale and cpns)
*Received a shampoo sample in the mail
*Ordered some free photos and gifts using codes
*Attended two meals at the college that were free for staff and families
*Cooked a batch of black beans in the crockpot
*Stopped by a new-to-us book swap box and had so much fun trading
*Redeemed a coupon for a free 12-pack of C*ke
*Used coupons for free mini pizzas that the kids earned from the summer reading program
*Received another eggplant and made the same hummus recipe as last time
*Took advantage of a really fun art event with street entertainment, free crafts and refreshments
*Stopped at about a dozen garage sales. My favorite scores were some awesome jar candles (two brand new, which will make nice gifts, and one brand name candle that retails for over $20, and I paid 25 cents for it 2/3 full!) Also got some clothing items for 50 cents-$3 each.
*Received a box of lotion samples from a friend who had an abundance via a family member
*Harvested garden goodies--zinnias, peppers, green beans, tomatoes
*Picked apples for free from two different yards that offered/granted us permission--made a year's supply of applesauce for less than $2 (sugar and cinnamon)--most of it is pictured below

*Stocked up on marked down bread at two different bakeries, including 74 cents for organic multigrain loaves (reg. $2.99) and 85 cents for brat buns (also reg. $2.99)
*Checked out clearance section and scored marked down glue sticks (27 cents/2-pack), scented markers ($2, on Natalie's wish list), and a quart of mis-tinted paint needed for a home project (50% off)

Your turn to share!

End of summer, start of school

2015-08-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Blogging was not at the top of my list this summer, but I do hope to start posting a little more often now.

As I mentioned in my last post, we met up with my parents in South Dakota for a few days, and had a wonderful time. I am so thankful my dad felt up to traveling (his first time out of CO in nearly 3 years!!) Here are some photos from our time together:

A stop at the iconic tourist destination on our way out

We saw over a hundred buffalo and many other animals at Custer State Park

Spending the afternoon at a beautiful lake

A visit to an imaginative children's attraction

My mom wanted a pic of my kiddos in this pumpkin, because look who got a photo at the same spot 29 years ago?!

Mount Rushmore

Swinging by the corn palace on the way home

The older kids started school this week, so here is a photo from the first day.

And with that, we launch into a new season!

Frugal accomplishments

2015-08-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my frugal accomplishments from the past two weeks:

*A friend gave me an eggplant from her garden. I think I'd only tasted eggplant once, and I'd never cooked with it. I recalled a recipe I'd wanted to try, and it was quite good--very much like hummus.

*We attended a wonderful event in a nearby town with an organized family bike ride, followed by free supper and swimming at the local pool.

*I took advantage of some deals to make a highly unusual on-line order of some new clothing for myself. I had a couple gift cards from past birthdays, plus a discount code and free shipping. I also earned some cash back.

*I won two movie tickets from the library for filling out a survey.

*I took the kids out to lunch using coupons they'd earned from the summer reading program. I spent just a couple dollars for all 4 of us to eat.

*We went to a garage sale that had a free box and found a couple new items to use in shoeboxes.

*We continue to harvest from our garden, mostly green beans, tomatoes and bell peppers. Plus zinnias, of course!

*I stocked up on some amazing grocery deals, including cereal for $1/box (reg. $3.49/each!) and syrup for 98 cents/bottle, plus it had a coupon on it for free pancake mix. I only paid $7.90 for $33.30 worth of the three products mentioned! Plus, I earned several cents off per gallon of gas.

*We attended a free pool party.

*We scored some leftover goodies from a potluck we attended, and it provided supper for the next night.

*I redeemed an offer for a free dessert with purchase when celebrating a friend's birthday at a restaurant.

*We met up with my parents in South Dakota for a long weekend, and my mom and I planned and brought meals to save on food costs. We ate out just twice on our four-day trip. Here's the lovely view from our cabin:

*We purchased a Groupon to save money on one of our trip outings. (However, we learned later that we could've used a discount code that day to further sweeten the deal. Oh, well!)

*I made laundry soap and peanut butter cookies.

I'd love to hear about your recent frugal activities!

Frugal accomplishments

2015-08-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

I didn't keep a frugal list on vacation, partly because there wasn't much to report in this regard, so this list is from the past 2-3 weeks.

*Gave haircuts to Eric and Nathan
*Received lots of free samples in the mail: vitamins, shampoo, diapers, mouthwash, lotion
*Our kids earned some great prizes from a healthy living program they participated in. They each won some tickets to nearby attractions, which we used for a fun and frugal family day. Both attractions are fairly expensive, and these passes enabled us to go to two cool places for very low cost!
*Harvested lots of garden goodies: flowers, onions, rhubarb, green beans, a few tomatoes, and peppers, including this unusual multi-colored one

*Redeemed coupons for free mini pizzas and had a picnic at an outdoor spot where the kids have been wanting to eat.
*The kids also earned a boatload of prizes from the library's summer reading program, including lots of food coupons and some school supplies.
*Grocery deals: snack mix for 79 cents a bag with sale and cpn (reg. $2.49 each), a loaf of bread for 39 cents, a free 2-liter of pop
*Went to the pool twice on their discount nights--a huge savings ($6 for our family vs. $17 if we go on a regular afternoon)
*Attended a free concert, and watermelon was served at no cost
*Visited three different shops that were having major clearance (one store was 50% off everything, one was 75%, and the other was a $1 bag sale--the best! I paid just one dollar for everything pictured below. My favorite find was the doll leotard for Natalie, especially because it's the exact same color of a leotard I already had to give her for Christmas!)

*Made lots of stuff with blueberries and strawberries, including jam, syrup, pie, muffins, and crisp--here's a pic of the syrup--I added the berry pulp I strained to the waffle batter, which was delicious!

*Nathan attended an athletic clinic at no cost because of Eric's employment at the college
*Made pasta salad, granola bites, apple French toast cups, Scotcheroos, and I tried making some homemade Pedi@lyte when Natalie wasn't feeling well. She liked the taste, and I felt good knowing I'd made something healthy and inexpensive that was nourishing her better than just plain water.
*Took advantage of ordering some natural health goodies when free shipping was offered. I also had some rewards points to spend.
*A friend gave us a bag of girl clothes her daughter outgrew. I selected a few things and passed it on to a friend with twins.
*Cooked a pot of black beans
*I received a coupon from our local movie theater for a free medium drink and popcorn. There wasn't anything we wanted to see before the coupon expired, but it did not indicate in the fine print that a purchase needed to be made to redeem the offer. I picked up the goodies (value $9.75--crazy!!) and a movie from the library for a free but indulgent date night!

I'd love to hear about your recent frugal activities!

Summer stuff

2015-07-27T14:36:00.001-05:00

This summer has flown by! Here is a recap of some of our summer:

We were so blessed to have Monica, her kids, and my mom visit for a few days in mid-June. They drove many extra miles to make it happen, and we are so grateful for the time together.

The kids were involved in baseball and gymnastics, which kept us busy most nights the month of June.

At the end of June, we had to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Reggie. He would've turned 15 next month, and it's been quite an adjustment without him around, especially for Eric.

We spent a little over two weeks in Michigan. En route, I got to stay overnight with my dear friend, Mandi, in Chicago.

It was great to see family and the kids always have fun at the lake. There were 20 of us staying at the cottage for one of the weeks, but I don't have any of those photos on my camera, so maybe I can share more later.

A few days after getting back to Iowa, we had to say some very hard goodbyes--Eric's brother, Ryan, and his wife, Alyssum, moved last week to Minnesota. Though they'll only be a few hours away, we will deeply miss their presence here.

As you can see, we've had a lot going on. I did want to check in before getting even more behind. Blessings!

Frugal accomplishments

2015-06-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

We continue to have a very full summer. I've been keeping my frugal list, and will share that here, but hope to share other updates and photos soon.

From the past two weeks:

*Eric goes out in our yard on rainy nights and digs for nightcrawlers for fishing. He said they sell for $4/dozen, so this is a nice expense to avoid since we have a good supply.
*We happened on to a free meal at the park recently, where they served hot dogs, chips and ice cream.
*We picked strawberries at a local patch, and I made a double batch of jam, a pie, and a berry-rhubarb crisp. We enjoyed the rest fresh.
*The kids earned really nice $15 water bottles from a healthy living program they're participating in.
*Made popsicles and syrup.
*Attended a free event at a local dairy farm--we got a free tour, plus supper and lots of activities.

*We continue to harvest spinach from our garden, and have gotten a few peas as well.
*Nathan has a great eye for spotting pop bottle lids at parks, so we've earned quite a few rewards points by entering the codes.
*Ordered some free photos
*Scored some deals in the clearance cart at the dollar store--3 packages of tortillas, some cereal bars for our trip (two per pkg), and a padded envelope--all for a quarter each
*Eric's brother brought over some grocery items they don't want to take when they move. (Insert sad face about the move part.)

Will check in again in July, but I'd love to hear from you in the meantime!

Frugal accomplishments

2015-06-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my frugal accomplishments from the past two weeks:

*Cooked a pot of black beans
*Made scones, "animal" crackers, blueberry muffins, brownies, granola, banana bread
*Had an outstanding trip to the grocery store, combining sales and coupons--best deal by far was paying less than $6 total for 2 gallons of milk and 4 boxes of cereal!
*Took advantage of several free nature programs offered by a local state park--a couple of these included lunch and prizes!

*Used two coupons for free mini pizzas the kids had earned from school
*Gave haircuts to Eric and Nathan
*Picked our first garden treat: spinach!
*Went with a friend to S@m's, and brought my calculator to be sure I was only by things at both a good price and a quantity we can actually use. (I've made that mistake before, buying an enormous container of baking powder.)
*Scored hot fudge sundaes for $1 each, and redeemed a coupon for a free pint of ice cream earned from donating blood
*Eric was invited to participate in a golf excursion through the college (at no cost to him)--he got to play 9 holes of golf, have a pizza buffet lunch, and he even won a prize (a nice stadium seat) for one of his shots.
*Redeemed a coupon for a free Italian soda, and one for a free tub of whipped cream
*Purchased heavy cream marked down half-price for making homemade ice cream
*Had a family outing to the pool on B1G1 night
*Made something I've been wanting to make for years--homemade laundry soap! I'm only one week in to using it, but have no complaints so far.

I'd love to hear about your recent frugal activities!

Frugal accomplishments

2015-06-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my frugal accomplishments from the past two weeks:

*My mom graciously agreed to re-cover our couch pillows, which were in quite yukky condition. I was shocked at the high cost of brand new pillows, and these were still fine in form, so I am thrilled she was able to re-cover them. Thanks, Mom!

*Made rolls, scones, syrup, strawberry frozen yogurt, soft pretzels with cheese sauce, chocolate peanut butter bars, granola, pumpkin bread
*Eric used a rebate check to purchase something at a hardware store. He also used a discount card to get a small percentage off on some paint we needed.
*Scored some grocery deals: crackers for $1/box, cheese for $1/pkg., 5 ears of corn for 80 cents total (combining sale and Saving*), hummus for $1.50 (sale and cpn, reg. price $2.99)
*Took advantage of some great thrifting deals--one store was 50% off everything for a couple days; the other store was having a $2 bag sale (a couple of the items that fit in my bag were a nice pair of shorts for Eric and this game, which Nathan had enjoyed the day before at a friend's house)
*Stopped by a dollar store that was having 50% off all clearance prices, and got some great deals, including granola bars for 72 cents/box and a bottle of Worcestershire sauce for 47 cents.
*Attended a couple of free essential oil classes, one locally and one on-line. I have been doing a lot of research on natural health lately. The local class I attended even had a free make-and-take: we each got to make one small spray (I chose bug) and one small roller (I choose sleepytime) to bring home. Fun!
*Received an awesome box of free samples in the mail: several lotions, a small container of shredded parm, shampoo and sunscreen
*And the best freebie of all: a FREE 15-minute flight for Nathan, as part of a young pilots program. We'd gotten an advertisement about it, and there are no strings attached. He had a fun time, and I was grateful his motion sickness did not come into play!

On the flipside, I admit I went quite a bit over on our grocery budget this month. We also had an unusually high number of recreation/entertainment purchases, so it's good we can balance out higher months with lower ones.

I'd love to hear about your recent frugal activities!

Stitch Fix, take 3

2015-05-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most of you have heard of Stitch Fix. I tried it out a couple years ago for the first time, and recently received my 3rd box. I really updated my profile this time, and specifically requested a dress and tops. Thankfully, my stylist listened to that, as I received a dress and 4 shirts.

It's always fascinating what someone else picks out for you, I think. And the two pieces I ended up liking best surprised me, as I wasn't thrilled at first glance.

Here are the pieces I received:

1. Though I didn't love this dress at first, it was a very flattering style for me. I really debated about keeping this. My main hang-ups were the price, the length (a little short), and it was a little tight in the shoulders. I hope to find a similar style soon, and don't know that I would've looked for that without trying this one on.

2. This shirt surprised me. It's not a real stand-out pattern, in my opinion, but it looked really cute on. I almost kept it, but there's kind of a weird seam/pleat that goes down the middle that hangs a little funny. Will look for a similar style of this, though, too.

3. Not a fan of this shirt. The sleeves are angled strangely in both front and back, and I didn't love the floral print on the back.

4. I could use a cute white shirt, but this one is too plain in the middle, and it wrinkles easily.

5. I really like chambray, but this shirt had a weird fit--didn't even consider keeping it.

I had $25 of credit via a referral (thank you!), so I didn't spend anything this time around. (The stylist fee is $20, which you can apply to any pieces you keep.) Was still fun to give it another whirl, even if I didn't purchase anything. It did give me a couple ideas of things to look for.

Would you like to give SF a try? Click on this referral link to get started!

Frugal accomplishments

2015-05-19T06:00:00.000-05:00

Whew, it has been a very busy few weeks. Blogging has been on my to-do list for awhile, but it's never bumped to the top until now. I totally skipped over my 8-year anniversary of blogging in early May--can't believe it's been that long! I have several other updates to share, but will start with this post of my frugal accomplishments from the past three weeks.

*Made scones, rhubarb muffins x2, sugar cookies, chocolate and vanilla ice cream (using heavily discounted whipping cream), strawberry jam, strawberry rhubarb crisp, lentil soup
*Stopped by a dozen garage sales, and scored some great deals and freebies. These items were from a free table on campus--the drink mix is unopened, as is the DVD!

*Attended an event at the library that provided a buffet of international snacks, free books, crafts and activities. And Naomi even won a door prize: a $5 card to use towards library fines. I thought that was a creative prize!
*Stocked up on cereal and produce deals
*Had our final college cafeteria supper with Ryan and Alyssum, which they covered with their remaining meal credit
*Gave haircuts to Eric and Nathan
*Scored all kinds of goodies left behind by college students
*Eric took advantage of a free dog food rebate
*Received a check from Ebates--so great if you ever shop on-line!
*We've been doing a lot of free or very inexpensive activities--bike rides, parks, fishing
*We participated in lots of events at our town's annual festival, and spent very little money. We ate all our meals at home, and just bought a couple snacks over the three days. The kids earned coupons for free festival treats from school, and we gave them each some cash to budget over the three days for refreshments or activities. It was interesting to see what they chose!
*Received an awesome box of free samples in the mail:

I'd love to hear about some of your recent frugal accomplishments!

Frugal accomplishments

2015-04-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my frugal accomplishments from the past four weeks:

*Scored several freebies: candy bar (Saving *), baby wipes, mousse, quinoa/rice mix (coupons)
*Eric purchased a couple short-sleeved work shirts for $3 each at the thrift store
*Made granola, pumpkin bread, lentil soup, "better than Pam," banana bread
*Cut boys' hair
*Attended a free local egg hunt and carnival; filled eggs with treats I had on hand
*Took advantage of after-Easter clearance, snagging a couple gifts and some holiday items for next year at 50-70% off
*Used a gift card to buy lunch at CFA for Naomi and me
*FINALLY accrued enough diaper rewards points to order a large box of "free" diapers--I have been hoping for months that I keep buying the last box, but Naomi has not been very interested in potty training!
*A friend I made some lip balm--something I'd been wanting to try for a long time. We split the ingredients and the finished product, and I have plenty to give as little gifts. Fun!
*Grocery deals: spinach for 24 cents (sale and cpn), avocado for 23 cents (sale and C51), 1/2 gallons of milk for 99 cents (super-sale!), whipping cream for 99 cents (awesome markdown price!), 2 loaves of French bread for 60 cents each, free eggs with purchase, stocked up on tortilla chips at $1.25/bag
*Attended a free fairy tale workshop and program at the library--it was both fun and educational, and they provided snacks and several different craft stations. We love our library! According to a new feature at the bottom of our receipt, I've already checked out $2000+ worth of materials in 2015!
*With somewhat warmer weather, we've been trying to walk/bike more places. All-around win.
*Made pasta salad, granola bars, corn dog muffins, syrup, venison burgers, black bean burgers, brownie pudding pie
*As I've mentioned before, I try very hard to only buy on-sale produce. Here is an example of some of the deals I got the other day (Keep in mind that these are prices from 4 different stores--price matching is awesome!): celery $1, red pepper $1, onion 69 cents/lb. +Saving*, mango 77 cents, strawberries $4.98 for 4 lbs., grapes $2.19/lb., bananas 48 cents/lb. Buying on-sale produce makes a big difference in the budget!

*Attended a swap meet in my sister-in-law's dorm, and brought home an unopened container of organic almonds (random!), a car first aid kit with most (packaged) items still included, and a dress (which, humorously and unknown to me, had belonged to my SIL!)
*Bought a pair of shoes for Nathan for $2 at a garage sale
*Took Naomi out to lunch, and had coupons for a free kids' meal plus a free brownie.
*Made hummus, peanut butter cups (very yummy!), banana blueberry bread (new recipe--not yummy), granola bites, strawberry pie, vanilla ice cream, granola
*A friend gave us a pair of girls' tennis shoes that her daughter had outgrown
*Attended a delightful play at the college at no cost (staff and spouses receive free admission--a wonderful perk!)
*Visited a consignment shop when some of their clothes were 50% off, and scored some great deals, especially with having store credit to apply as well.

And though this wasn't a frugal outing, here's a pic from my recent mother-son date with Nathan--a delayed part of his Christmas present! I'm glad to save in some areas so that we can splurge in others sometimes. I had no coupons for any of our activities--bowling, pizza, ice cream shop--but we had fun (Mostly--Nathan doesn't like to lose, and his mama beat him twice in bowling!) and spent some rare 1-1 time together.

I'd love to hear about your recent frugal activities!

Easter exploring

2015-04-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Though we'd decided not to travel for Easter, we had a hard time figuring out our plans, and I am grateful for how things came together.

Saturday was spent doing a variety of egg hunts. And on Friday, we painted/colored a set of plastic eggs. I hadn't been able to find them last year, so it was fun to add those to our decorations this season.

On Sunday, we attended the early service at our church and then took off on an adventure. We first drove to a state park about an hour away. We had a picnic lunch and then went on a 5-mile bike ride, stopping to hike on some rocks midway.

Next we drove about 20 minutes to a historical site called Devils Gulch. It was interesting to explore there. Then we hopped back in the car for about 10 minutes and drove to another state park, which was absolutely beautiful. We hung out there for a couple hours, climbing on rocks, and just enjoying the beauty of God's creation.

After several hours of exploring these different sites, we drove 20 minutes again to a nearby city for supper. We devoured our delicious Easter dinner, and then drove home. We were all tuckered out, but it was a nice way to spend the holiday!

Draining vs. energizing

2015-04-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

I told a couple people this week that I had recently made two lists: one of things that drain me, and the other with things that energize me. I have been trying to use these lists to help me avoid drains when I can, and either way, to seek out what energizes me, especially when I'm feeling worn down.

I thought I would share my lists, and hope this may inspire some of you to consider doing something similar. Of course, I already knew instinctively most of what was on the list, but having it written down was clarifying for me. These are not exhaustive--just what came to mind initially.

Here is what I find draining:

*Drawn-out decisions

*Disobedience

*Interrupted sleep

*Interrupted conversation (repeatedly)

*Clutter

*Noise

*Cold, gray weather

*Too-long to-do list

*Whining

*Discord

Here is what I find energizing:

*Fresh air

*Quiet

*Journaling

*Talking with a friend

*Sunshine

*Exercise

*Healthy food

*Music

*Sleep

*Beautiful scenery

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Would your lists be similar? What would you add--or take away?

photo by Monica

Frugal accomplishments

2015-03-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are my frugal accomplishments from the past two weeks:

*Used a gift certificate to get a free pedicure. I watched a friends' kids several times last summer, and she surprised me with a gift certificate to a local salon. When my mom was here, she encouraged me to go out and do something relaxing, and I remembered I had the certificate. Nice!
*Scored several loaves of bread for 39 cents a loaf on the day-old rack.
*While my mom was here, we went to my favorite consignment store. They were having a spring sale with all clothes and shoes 25% off, and I had a decent amount of credit. I had just gone through the kids' spring/summer clothes, so I had very specific things to look for, and I had great success.
*I made a batch of strawberry jam, some cinnamon muffins, pancake mix, pasta salad and pizza muffins (for school lunches)
*Used a coupon for a free donut that Naomi received at a library program. Eric earned a $5 coffee shop certificate from the library.
*Received a coupon for a free TwiX bar--my favorite!--from an on-line sweepstakes
*Scored two boxes of Fr0zen cereal for just $1.27 each--on sale for $1.97 and I had two 70-cent cpns
*Used several discounts to order some gifts for upcoming occasions
*Purchased a sweater for $2 off a local swap site
*The older kids received a free chapter book for participating in the library's occasional after-school program.
*Eric spotted a white wicker rocking chair on the curb at some friends' house--he confirmed they were getting rid of it, and brought it home for our porch, which has all white wicker furniture!
*Bought a brand new box of 20 super-cute birthday cards and a bundle of colored pencils at the thrift store.
*You may recall that our washer fritzed out a couple months ago; now it's our dryer's turn! Eric patiently tried several approaches to fixing it, and it became clear that we need to replace it. We decided to buy a new one, and Eric was able to get a couple different discounts. Every little bit helps!

I'd love to hear about your recent frugal activities!

Grammie's visit

2015-03-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

We are so grateful my mom was able spend 9 days with us. She was a huge help with all the kids, especially Naomi, and she did many acts of service around the house.

We were able to squeeze in a little fun during her busy visit.

Celebrating Natalie's 6th birthday

Going out for donuts after school

Lots of hanging out

Grammie got to read a couple books to Nathan's class

And have lunch at school with Natalie

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day with plenty of green and rainbows

Thanks for coming, Mom. We love you!

Today is our final day of diet and activity restrictions following Naomi's surgery. Hooray!

A nICE and COOL celebration

2015-03-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

We were late to jump on the Fr0zen bandwagon and didn't see it until it was on DVD last spring, but Natalie is definitely a big fan. She asked me months ago if that could be the theme of her birthday party. That allowed me to acquire some winter/snowflake goodies at great prices, and have a jumpstart on stuff for this special occasion.

I followed a similar format to Naomi's recent party since it had worked pretty well. We started with refreshments--each girl got to decorate their own snowflake sugar cookie, and we had some other goodies detailed below.

Next we played several games: a "musical snowflakes" game, a scavenger hunt based on lines from the movie's catchy songs, and pin the carrot nose on 0laf. Then the girls colored some pictures from the movie, and we played the soundtrack in the background. It was so cute hearing them belt out the songs!

Then we opened a few gifts, and since there was a little time left, the girls wanted to play the musical snowflakes game again, and then have a "dance party" (their words--so funny!) We handed out favor bags on their way out the door--these goodies, tied up in the bag with sparkly silver ribbon.

So it was a success. And though I am pleased with how it came together, I am happy to hang up my party-planning hat for awhile. Our family of 5 has birthdays in one half of the year, so now I'm off the hook at our house until October!

Here is the cost breakdown:

Food (homemade sugar cookies and frosting, snowflake crackers, baby carrots--Olaf's nose!, almond bark popcorn, blue lemonade): less than $5
Decor: $0--I adapted a poster Nathan brought home from school, used snowman/snowflake dishes I already had, and took advantage of the used party supplies we were blessed with. I also left some of my winter and snowman decor out, and my mom and I made a little display of those items.
Favors: I spent $2 for a package of bags, but only used 5 of 20, and will save the rest for another party. I bought a package of Frozen character stickers at the $ store, and divided one package up in half-sheets for favors and to use on invites, etc. My mom and I made the pretzels, and Natalie made each girl a blue and white bracelet. The glittery pink snowflake ornaments were bought on Christmas clearance--about a dollar for 6. My mom bought a pack of character lip balms at a discount store, and we gave one to each girl. The rock candy sucker was in the bag of goodies we received from a previous Fr0zen party. I was thrilled to have such a fun bag of goodies, and spent less than $3 on favors for 5 girls!
Activities: free (lots of great printables on-line: coloring pages and games)
Tableware: $2 (snowflake cups and napkins purchased on Christmas clearance, clear cups on hand)

Total cost: less than $10

Frugal accomplishments

2015-03-17T11:46:00.000-05:00

It has been a very full two weeks with Naomi's tonsils out (Thanks for your prayers!), my mom's visit, and celebrating Natalie's birthday. I did manage to keep a list of at least some of my frugal activities from that time period, so here they are:

*Made granola bites, apple coffee cake, blueberry muffins, corn dog muffins
*Had a friend take Naomi's 3-year photos for a small fee
*Ordered some needed jeans and socks for the girls, taking advantage of a sale, Ebates, and free shipping
*We went out for ice cream, and had a coupon for a free take-home pint with any purchase. We bought a large dish of ice cream, split it among the kids, and enjoyed some of the pint ourselves. Hard to beat $3 for all 5 of us to have ice cream!
*Scored a free candy bar (Saving *) and more free C0ke (once again, reaping the SC benefits from W-mart!)
*Cooked a batch of white beans
*Grocery deals: cereal for $1/box, 5 lb. bags of potatoes for just 88 cents each, stocked up on milk at $2.49 gallon and $1.68 for a 1/2 gallon of chocolate milk (a special treat during Grammie's visit!)
*Finished up our free movie trial on-line--a great chance to see some movies we can't get at our local library
*Received a free sample of lotion
*Natalie earned a cpn for a free pizza slice from a contest at school
*Ordered a book from PBS (for the 49-cent fee)
*My mom and I stopped by the thrift store, and I bought a few books on B1G1 and a nice church shirt for Nathan for $2
*A random one: I noted in a recent magazine that there was a $20 gadget that would help you get the last drop out of your toiletry bottles. I find that highly ironic to pay $20 to "save money" when you can just turn the bottle upside down--for (gasp) FREE. In fact, I was recently able to stretch out my face moisturizer for more than a month (when the pump stopped working) just by turning it and using the pump stem to help scrape some out.

*A classmate's mom learned that Natalie wanted a Fr0zen-themed party, and since her daughter had the same theme last month, she saved a lot of the decor and misc. items for me. So sweet! I already had most of Natalie's party planned when she offered, but it was really fun to have all these additions to our celebration! I really appreciated the generosity and plan to pass what I can on to someone else. I couldn't resist checking out the retail prices of some of the items, and the brand new price total was over $80! I'll share more about the party on Friday, but we had a great time--and it was very low-cost--even less than Naomi's.

I'd love to hear about your recent frugal activities!

Helpless

2015-03-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

I was so appreciative of Monday's Jesus Calling devotion, as it spoke to the anxiety I was battling:

"Let Me help you through this day. The challenges you face are far too great for you to handle alone. You are keenly aware of your helplessness in the scheme of events you face. This awareness opens up a choice: to doggedly go it alone or to walk with Me in humble steps of dependence. Actually, this choice is continually before you, but difficulties highlight the decision-making process. So, consider it all joy whenever you are enveloped in various trials. {James 1:2-3} These are gifts, reminding you to rely on Me alone."

I was still reflecting on those words when I pulled out our CaringBridge book from 3 years ago and in my journal entry that same day (March 7), I'd typed out that exact portion of Jesus Calling! God is so good to give us the Words that we need.

Though we are thankfully not experiencing the heaviness and onslaught that started our year, it has been quite a week. Naomi had her tonsils and adenoids out on Wednesday. She is doing as well as can be expected, but there have definitely been ups and downs in the past few days.

Having a popsicle post-surgery

I am so grateful for the Body of Christ who helps us bear our burdens, and thankful for Scripture and music to remind us of Truth.

Before the surgery Wednesday morning, I was again reading JC, and the words really got me: "When I gave you My Spirit, I empowered you to live beyond your natural ability and strength. That's why it is so wrong to measure your energy level against the challenges ahead of you. The issue is not your strength but Mine, which is limitless."

I also woke up that morning thinking of the lyrics to a specific song. And when I checked my email not long after, one of my dearest friends had sent me a link to that same exact song. It was a sweet blessing as we headed into a not-so-fun day.

Though we are helpless, He is our HELPer! We appreciate your prayers for Naomi's healing and for us as we care for her. We are grateful to have my mom here this week to also HELP in many ways!

Charles F. Cheddar, take 4

2015-03-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe this is the fourth year that we've done our "Charles F. Cheddar" night. Naomi was old enough to get in on the action, and all the kids enjoyed earning tickets. (I'm sure many mamas can relate to the fact that this is one event that takes longer to plan than to actually implement--like so many things in life!) Here are pix from a couple of our games:

Something I did differently this year was to not have trinket or candy prizes. Our kids have so much of that already, and have gotten plenty more of those things recently. I had the idea to do a sundae bar, and the kids could purchase toppings based on their number of tickets and personal preferences. It was a big hit, though we'll probably do the other kind of prizes again next year, as they missed it.

We usually do this event in the spring, and it had just come on my radar when Nathan asked if we could do it sometime soon. Glad it's something the kids look forward to!

Frugal accomplishments

2015-03-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Here are my frugal accomplishments from the past two weeks:

*Received a book from PBS that I will save as a gift for Natalie. I am so bummed that PBS has decided to start charging for transactions, though. Not sure how much longer I'll stick with it.
*Earned a coupon for a free pizza buffet by reading 10 books--we redeemed this and one I earned last year to go out for lunch on Naomi's birthday. We also redeemed a coupon for a free mini pizza Natalie earned, and brought it home to use for school lunches.
*Made banana zucchini bread, strawberry rhubarb crisp, rolls, hummus x2, pita chips, birthday cupcakes, and pumpkin apple muffins
*Received some tea bag samples in the mail
*Scored free ibuprofen (rebate), a candy bar (Saving *) and deodorant (cpn)
*Picked up some groceries on clearance/markdown: a red pepper for 50 cents (!), some plastic heart-shaped bowls to use next year for V-day, cranberry sauce for 75 cents/can
*Made lotion bars following this recipe, though mine didn't turn out quite like that. I do like them, though they are a bit greasy.
*Downloaded an excellent e-book for free, thanks to my friend Kelly's recommendation
*Used a birthday coupon to take Naomi to a fun inflatable place for no cost!

*Cut hair--Eric's and Nathan's
*Cooked some chicken, and used some veggie scraps to flavor the water for broth. Used some to make chicken and rice soup, and will make a second kind of soup soon with the rest.
*Baked a couple packages of stale buns and processed them into bread crumbs.
*Sold some things on a local site, and purchased a toddler bed with bedding from a friend for a great price. Naomi loves it!

A non-frugal thing--I know this is NOT a big deal--but I strongly dislike overdue fees, and we had a DVD out from the library that was overdue by a couple days. It's less about the money, and more about dropping the ball. But it happens to all of us, right?!

I'd love to hear about some of your recent frugal activities!

The Princess and the Tea

2015-03-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

I had several ideas for a theme for Naomi's birthday, but settled on a princess tea party. She loved it, and I was very pleased with how the details came together.

We invited three little girls and asked them to come dressed up, which they certainly did. So cute! We started out with refreshments, tea-party style. Then the girls each colored and decorated a placemat. We read a tea pot book and sang the song, then played a princess bingo game I'd printed.

It was a fun time, and I was pleased to have spent less than $15 on all the supplies. Here is the cost breakdown:

Tablecloth $1 (will reuse for Natalie's upcoming party)
Fresh flowers $4
Cupcake supplies just over $1 (cake mix: 88 cents, leftover homemade frosting, decals: 19 cents on clearance (original price $3.49!), princess cupcake papers: on hand)
Favors $5 (super cute soft princess dolls I'd gotten on clearance, stickers, fruit snacks, and a necklace)
Invites less than 50 cents using supplies I already had
Other refreshments (cheese, crackers, grapes, mini muffins, lemonade) approximately $3
Activities (book, Bingo, coloring placemats) Free
Tableware (dishes and napkins) Free

We also did some fun things together as a family, going out for pizza and swimming. I can't believe my little girl is 3!

Frugal accomplishments

2015-02-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Here are my frugal accomplishments from the past two weeks:

*Eric took Nathan out for frozen yogurt, and used a rare coupon to get 50% off, and also had a gift card to pay for it.
*I scored free batteries (the company sent me a coupon after I called in about a defective product), free Coke (rewards), and baking soda (Saving *).
*Grocery markdowns: a bag of overripe bananas for 99 cents and a half-gallon of chocolate milk for 99 cents
*Made energy bites, hot cocoa mix, pancake mix, Valentine snack mix, banana bread and fajita seasoning
*Received $2.12 from WM's SC program
*Signed up for a free trial of movie streaming--great chance to get caught up on movies and documentaries not stocked at our library!
*Stopped by the thrift store when they had clothes B1G2 free, and books B1G1--I bought quite a few books (including some brand new educational workbooks for kids), two shirts (Boden and Old Navy!) and a pair of pants for Natalie, all for $5 total.
*Put together an inexpensive birthday gift for one of Nathan's friends--bought a game on sale, and put it with a package of microwave popcorn and a box of candy for a family game night.
*Took advantage of free childcare offered at our church for parents to go out for a Valentine's date Friday night! Eric and I used a discount certificate to pay for part of our meal, and we each brought home half of our meal to enjoy the next day. Woo-hoo!
*Stopped by a local discount store that is going out of business. Their regular prices were quite high, so even at 60-70% off, I didn't think the deals were amazing. I did snag a bag of flour, a big jar of jam for PBJ's, and a toiletry item.
*Attended an auction at the college--free entertainment, plus free popcorn and pop.

We did some fun and frugal valentine activities together as a family, too. I helped in Natalie's class party (I found her adorable conversation heart shirt at a bag sale, so it cost around 5 cents!):

We had a festive breakfast Saturday morning--heart-shaped muffins, strawberries, and juice (a special treat). Note my glittery jar in the middle--idea and picture request from Monica. My grandma made the fun placemats several years ago, and my mom sent the sparkly hearts. Love it! I filled the mailboxes ($1 each many years ago) with goodies bought on clearance last year--stickers, candy, etc., and a thrifted book for each kid. They were thrilled!

W had a "fancy" candle-lit supper in the evening, followed by some valentine games (heart scavenger hunt--free, heart Bingo--less than $2 on clearance, and heart tic-tac-toe--a gift--thanks to Monica!)

I'd love to hear about your recent frugal activities!

Misc.

2015-02-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to check in. Though there is still plenty going on, it doesn't feel as heavy as it did a few weeks ago, and I am grateful.

Here are a few links I wanted to share:

*This recent post resonated with me, and I have been trying to do a better job of actually burning the candles. And using the fancy lotion, etc.

*I found this site sometime last year when I needed cleaning inspiration, and I signed up for the daily emails. Though I don't often complete the daily tasks, this one was a good suggestion and boy, did our dishwasher need to be cleaned. Yuk!

*I rarely do crafts anymore, but thought these candles Monica made were so cute! When I checked my craft supplies, I found a bottle of silver glitter glue, which saved me time on an already quick and easy project. I love how mine turned out, and like that its silver color can be used for any occasion.

Have a wonderful weekend. Happy Valentine's Day!