On Zone Defense this month, we’re tackling living spaces. Books play a big part in how we live, so let’s get them organized and avoid the visual and physical clutter.

As a family of book lovers and folks who do school at home, we have a lot of books. A lot.

Over the years I’ve tried to pare down our collection to those that we love, that we really need for school, or that are difficult to get from the library. We also like to give the kids books for birthdays and Christmas so that they can start building their own personal libraries.

There’s just something sweet and comforting about a well-loved and well-worn hard copy book. While we have a Kindle, an iPad, and numerous devices on which to read electronic books, I still love being able to turn a physical page. So, I don’t think that we’ll ever really say goodbye to real live books.

Who would want to?

But what to do with all those books?!

That said, books do take up space and can contribute to the clutter in a household if not organized and corralled in someway. Here are several different means that we use for organizing and storing our books.

1. Deep storage

Some of our books are those that are not needed on a regular basic, but are those that we dig out for a certain season. Many of our music books, holiday books, and school books which are designated for a certain grade level or subject are stored in boxes on shelves in our garage.

Since we live in a temperate climate, our garage rarely gets too hot or too cold, so this works for us. When we lived in Kansas, I stashed these boxes in the backs of closets.

Keeping these books that we reference once a year or once every few years in boxes helps relieve visual clutter on the shelves and helps me find them when I really do need them.

2. Book shelves

We have tall bookcases in my office, the school room, and in the aforementioned garage. We try to store books as close to the place of use as possible. So, personal and writing books go in the office, school and library books in the school room, and pleasure reading or other general school books that we want to reference on a regular basis go in the garage.

Bookshelves are a tricky thing. I love the looks of them, but kids, lazy or otherwise, have a hard time putting books back on the shelf in a way that lends itself to neatness. Just saying.

Our school shelves need to be straightened regularly, so that they don’t look like a jumbled mess. But, I’ve got some people that are now old enough to take on the task.

3. Sterilite boxes

Years ago I read in an organizing book about making things easier to put away that take out. It’s a brilliant idea if you can pull it off. One way that we do this with children’s books is to store them in Sterilite boxes on the book shelves. It’s easier for little hands to toss them into the box than to line them up on a shelf. And to retrieve a book, they just need to flip through the box like in a card file.

Keeping storybooks in these boxes also makes it easy to pull out a box to use in the car or bedroom or some other place in the house for easy reading.

This year we’re on Zone Defense, moving room by room, tackling clutter and disorder. This month we’re closing in on living spaces. Check out the month’s general assignment or browse the archives to see previous months’ assignments. 

How do YOU organize your books?

Books and What to Do with Them (Zone Defense) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

It is better to give than receive — unless it puts you in hock! Avoid debt and overspending by giving gifts wisely and economically.

1. Bake something.

Bake someone happy with homemade breads, cookies, cakes, and pies. Homemade is always better than storebought. And the ingredients can often be less expensive that a fancy bakery. Package them nicely in a cloth lined basket or paper box. Deliver with a smile.

2. Give a gift card.

It is the thought that counts! A lower value gift card to a fun splurge like Starbucks or iTunes is often more welcome than an expensive doodah that will eventually end up in the donations pile. It doesn’t need to be high priced to be fun.

3. Package some cash.

Likewise, a creative cash present will bring a huge smile to the honored friend. When Aunt Cass sent us our “box of chocolates”, I was bowled over by her creativity. I haven’t even spent any of it ($43.15 to be exact) since it’s just too cute for words. It’s a little emergency fund, perfect for teens, college students, and, ahem, grown-ups.

4. Shop the clearance.

You will be amazed what great things you can find on clearance, especially if you start looking early. I have found great culinary gifts on clearance including a French press for $5! Keep an eye on the clearance section in your favorite stores for great deals.

5. Give an experience.

Sometimes time doing an activity together is worth more than any gift. Think picnic, a day at the beach, a trip to an amusement park, a movie night with popcorn and large boxes of candy. Consider your birthday person, graduate or other honoree to be the guest of honor and treat him or her like royalty.

6. Stock up on seasonal sales.

If you’re looking for token or hostess gifts, then keep your eyes open at back to school time, the holidays, Valentine’s Day and Easter. Candy, chocolates, candles, dishes, other small gift items, and school supplies often go on great sales at these times. Stock up on these items and save them to repackage as gifts.

Yes, you can even transform humble school supplies into gifts.

7. Use Swagbucks.

Swagbucks is a search engine that rewards you with “Swagbucks” for searching online, participating in surveys or in other actions. You can redeem your Swagbucks for a number of prizes including Amazon and Starbucks gift cards. We have used the Amazon cards to offset gift giving costs at Christmas and birthdays.

Plus, Swagbucks will also award you points when you refer friends. For instance, if you signed up with this link, I would get some Swagbucks for sharing the love with you.

8. Pre-order new releases on Amazon.

Amazon offers a number of great services including Prime free shipping, a lending library, and free streaming movies. But, many folks don’t understand their pre-order policy. If you pre-order a new release (ie. before it hits the stores), you will be guaranteed the lowest price on that item between the time you pre-order and the release date.

Since Amazon prices fluctuate so frequently, this can save you a lot of money — as well as time spent checking the price.

9. Make a meal to deliver.

Who doesn’t like a home cooked meal? Everyone from busy moms to starving students to hungry bachelors will appreciate a home cooked meal. Take a few extra minutes to package it in a fancy manner and deliver with a smile.

For new parents or other busy folk, consider stashing several meals in their freezer so that they can enjoy your gift for several days into the future.

10. Order online to save money on gas and to use cash-back programs.

Shopping online has been a real blessing to me, especially in the days when all the kids had to be latched into carseats. Not only did it save me money to shop from home, but it also saved me from endless errands and dragging more poor kids into a myriad of stores when we couldn’t find what we were looking for.

I can also use cash-back services like Ebates to get cash back on my purchases when I initiate my shopping session through their portal. I can maximize my rewards by using Ebates’ tell-a-friend referral program. Whenever a friend signs up with my link, we both win.

Plus, it’s nice to shop in my pajamas.

11. Request free samples.

There are so many wonderful free samples available out there. One year, I planned ahead and saved up enough free granola bars to stuff the kids’ stockings at Christmas! And now that I think about it, some samples are very generous, making it easy for you to put together a fun gift basket — for FREE!

12. Give a memory.

A picture really is worth a thousand words. Some of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever given have been of the photographic variety. Whether it takes the shape of a video slideshow, a photo album, or even just a framed picture, photo gifts are fun, meaningful, and typically quite frugal.

Today’s Frugal Friday!

Time to swap ideas and inspiration for saving money.

How do YOU save money?

Please remember to follow the Frugal Friday Guidelines or be deleted.

1. Post a money saving idea and explain how it is helpful in your post.
2. No giveaways or deals posts.
3. Recipes are allowed, but you must explain how it saves people money.
4. Please include a link back to Life as MOM.

12 Ways to Save on Gifts (Frugal Friday) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Can’t stand the heat? Get out of the kitchen! Cooking out doesn’t have to be limited to meats and burgers. Try grilling pizza.

The first time we grilled pizza was about five kids and ten years ago. It was amazing! And then we didn’t do it again for quite some time.

Last summer we took up the practice again and were amazed (again) how fun and easy it was!

Here’s how to take your pizza pie outside.

1. Get your pizza dough and toppings (and side dishes) ready.

As you know by now if you do any grilling at all, you need to have everything ready. How many times have I heard my dad or husband holler, “Is everything ready? The meat’s almost done.” The grill waits for no man. So, get everything ready to go before you start.

2. Fire up the grill.

We have a Holland gas grill that we bought off craigslist years ago for a steal. It operates very much like an oven. And as you can tell from the grates, they are fairly close together, making for a great pizza grilling surface. You can make your pizza on a standard grill, just be sure to place the crusts in such a way not to slip between the grates. It shouldn’t be a problem.

While the grill is heating, bring all your toppings outside. It’s nice to have a table right next to the barbecue to make this neat and easy.

3. Bake the crust.

Don’t assemble the pizzas yet! Lay the crusts on the hot grill and allow them to bake on the underside, about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how hot your grill is. Once the crusts are baked on the bottom, flip them over.

4. Add the toppings.

Spread your sauce and toppings on the baked top. Close the grill and cook another 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is crisp.

5. Be patient.

This is not an exact science, especially if you’re working with a sensitive grill. So, be patient. The end result is an amazing pizza full of texture and flavor. It’s worth waiting for.

Some of our favorite pizzas:

• Thai Chicken Pizza
• Goat Cheese-Pesto Pizza with Fresh Vegetables
• Jalapeno Burn

URS Guidelines

Remember: Each week at Ultimate Recipe Swap, there is a posted theme. You are welcome to share any recipe that fits the theme and contains a link back to Life as MOM. If you’re curious about the upcoming themes, I have a calendar here. This week’s theme is Dessert.

If you have a recipe that fits the theme, please link it. However, things like Beef Strogonaff will be deleted from Chicken week because it doesn’t contain chicken. Please keep this meme as helpful to others as we can.

And don’t make me the bad guy! 

What is your favorite recipe for the grill?

Grilled Pizza (Ultimate Recipe Swap: Cooking Out) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Decorating a cake you’ve baked at home is not difficult. In fact, it’s a great way to customize it for taste and birthday party theme — without paying a high price. You CAN have your cake and eat it, too!

If I can decorate a home baked cake, so can you! I am not all that gifted in this area, but my kids are always happy. And that is what counts!

Here are some ideas to get you started.

• A Cake Decorating Tutorial
• Decorating Cakes with Playmobil
• Cake Decorating for Normal People

Sports Cakes

LA Kings Cake

Disc Golf

Surfer Cake

Movie Cakes

Indiana Jones

and another Indiana Jones

Cars 2 Cake

Captain Jack, Pirates of the Caribbean

Death Star, Star Wars

Rapunzel, Tangled Cake

Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story

A Drive-in Movie Theatre

Book Cakes

Narnia – Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Fancy Nancy

Character Cakes

Dora the Explorer

Bob the Builder

Sonic the Hedgehog

Lego Bionicle Thornax

Pokeball and Pikachu

Shamu

Cakes for Grownups

Dave Ramsey

What’s your favorite out of all your birthday cakes, past or present?

Easy Cakes You Can Decorate Yourself is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Occasionally, readers write with questions that I know others might be able to add to or benefit from. Today we’re talking about video games, gaming systems, and how to know if and when to introduce those to your household.

Take whatever I say with a grain of salt, and be sure to add your two cents in the comments section.

Q.I was hoping you could share with me the age your kids were when you first allowed video games? I have three boys-7, 3 and 7 mo. We homeschool. Winter is long around here and the big guy wants a Wii. Bad. Am I nuts to give in so early? Obviously the baby won’t be joining in, but I don’t see how I’ll be able to keep the almost 4 yr old away. Any advice is much appreciated!

A. Well, this is, indeed, the five million dollar question! While I would like to say that our family is immune to the mind-numbing powers of the video game, I can’t. I don’t really have “an answer”, but I’m happy to share our experience.

Our life with video games

My kids love to play video games, be they computer, gaming system, or iPad. I never had any intention of buying anything video game related. And in fact, in the early years, I didn’t.

I know first hand the addictive qualities of video games, having spent adolescent nights bleary eyed trying to beat Pacman as well as wasted adult days absorbed in Tetris or Baby Park. I can’t get those minutes back and now that every second of my life is accounted for, I want that time back! I guess we could say I have some video game regrets of my own.

It seems time slips by unnoticed when one is playing a video game. But to deny their presence and influence in our culture is unrealistic. The real question is who will control whom?

I will be the first to admit that video games have a fairly large presence in our home life. I don’t like to admit it. I think there’s an unspoken law in Parentdom that you’re a better mom if your kids don’t watch TV, don’t know a Pokemon from a Super Mario Brother, and never eat processed sugars.

While I know where we “coulda, shoulda, woulda,” that’s not always our reality. This is:

1. You want it, you buy it.

I think the saving and subsequent ownership is an important part of the equation. If you want something bad enough, you’ll do what you need to do to make it happen. And since I don’t share their love of video games, I don’t plan on paying for them.

My oldest, at about age 8 decided that he wanted a Nintendo 64. He had played a number of different game systems at friends’ homes and decided that the vintage “cassette” games were ideal, especially with baby siblings in the house. These could not be scratched or destroyed as easily as the Game Cube which was current at the time, seven years ago. (Smart boy.)

His brothers were then 5, 3, and 1. Only one of them was really capable of playing anything because back then most of the games were too advanced for toddlers anyway. Regardless, we limited game time to weekends and perhaps 30 minutes on a school night.

My oldest son and my husband shopped on ebay and he bought a used system and the games to go with. Since he had invested his money (with some help from younger brothers), it was a great experience in saving toward purchases and shopping for good deals.

A few years later, friends gave us a Game Cube that they no longer wanted and the hunt for used Game Cube games commenced, now with more boys saving money and investing in games or requesting them at birthdays and Christmas.

Inevitably, Nintendo retired these systems and the games became harder and harder to find. That is the way with technology — and marketing.

Since the Wii was/is pretty cool, the boys started to save their money. With fervor. They did odd jobs around the house. They weeded the flower beds in the summer heat to earn extra money. And they reached their goal! It was amazing to see how hard they worked.

And even though they had the cash earmarked for this special purchase, they were willing to share it when their parents were short on funds!

We ended up buying them the system – and have been known to play it on occasion. They spent their savings on the accessories and games, which add up anyway. We were so proud of their hard work and determination and their generosity. And they are still responsible for buying games and accessories.

Currently, only the boys, age 14, 11, 9,and 7, are very active with the Wii, though my 5-year old daughter occasionally joins in. Each of the boys has saved the money to buy handheld systems as well, Nintendo DS, and the Girl says she wants one as well.

She also has her eye on a Bitty Baby, so we’ll see who wins out in the end.

2. Set limits on the gaming time.

Video games are generally off-limits on school nights, and we try to have time limits on the weekend gaming. While timers have worked on and off in the past, inevitably we have bouts of too much time spent on gaming — or fighting as a result of overly competitive spirits.  This is our cue to pull back.

We have called for Total Unplugging on occasion in order to curb the control that gaming has.

Our plan for the summer is to have a few windows per day when gaming is allowed. The rest of the day the games need to be powered down, and children need to be involved in other pursuits: reading, playing outside, doing chores, or playing “real” games.

Having “gaming hours” is easier for me to monitor when there are so many people playing games!

3. Playing together does matter.

I think we could live a happy existence without video games, but I also know that my kids truly do enjoy this pursuit. Now that we’ve dipped a toe into iPad apps, I realize the huge addiction/education possibilities. It’s all about balance.

And there’s the added value of time spent together. My husband has had wonderful experiences playing football and hockey via the Wii with our boys. They’ve also had great times playing real football and hockey outside. But, as you say, winter is long. Having indoor pursuits is nice. And so is time spent together.

Do I wish we had fewer video games? Yes. Do I wish I could claim the no-video games, no-TV rule that I once held to steadfastly? Sure. My life would be a lot simpler — and a lot quieter.

Would that make me a better mom? I’m not so sure.

How do YOU handle video games at your house?

Q&A: Video Games is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

We’re planning for summer fun around here. Today Prerna shares how to enjoy the summer daze with an child.

We’re enjoying full-blown summer days here in India and soon it will be that time when school shuts down and our daughter is at home. all day. alone. with us.

Yes, we have an ‘only’ child and while we do manage to keep her engaged and entertained successfully during after-school hours and during the cool, winter months when picnics and outdoor fun is easier to manage, the summer is a whole other story.

The days are hot and long, school is out, friends are away with families traveling and she is pretty much housebound during the day. Yes, and we, my husband and I, have a busy home business to run as well.

So, here’s how we make the summer days fun for her and keep ourselves productive and sane.

A Stash of ‘Special’ Toys

Yes, every mother’s secret tool – special toys. If you haven’t put together a box of toys that you don’t pull out every day, do that now! Whenever, she’s getting cranky and irritable with her collection of cars or dolls, we pull out that special box which basically, has toys she hasn’t played with in months. They’re all new to her and I can almost hear her squeal in delight as she opens the box to pull out that old-for-us but new-for-her pushback car.

An Ice Cream a Day

I know. An ice cream every day. But hear me out. You can make fudgecicles by freezing simple, home made chocolate pudding in molds. Or you can do what Jessica does and make your own ice cream. Healthier and cheaper.

You’ve gotta admit, every kid loves ice cream and there is something about having a bowl filled with slurpy, yummy, ice cream when the sun is blazing outside.

Splash Fests to Cool Off

We don’t have a garden because we live in an apartment. But we let her splash around in the bath for around 10 to 15 minutes. She loves it. It cools her down and playing with water and her strange, assorted collection of bath toys just makes her day. Plus, it gives us 15 minutes to catch up on email or other biz-related tasks.

Quiet Play Time

In my earlier post on fun activities for an only child, I shared how much our little girl loves pretend play, reading books and DIY craft. We schedule all of those as well for the summer days and let her play quietly till she tires of them and needs something else to do.

A Routine to Keep it All Together

I am a huge fan of planning and routines and the summer holidays are no different. Regardless of the activities you plan or think of, they’ll be of little use if you don’t have a routine in place. Knowing what to do every day makes life much simpler for this work-at-home mom of an only child. I try (operative word, try) to not fly by the seat of my pants and yes, Jessica’s Organizing Life as Mom eBook is my trusty sanity-saver, along with her Summer Survival Guide that gives me much-needed inspiration whenever I’m stuck.

Keep in mind that all these ways to have fun can be used in families with multiples and where parents are not working out of home. However, when you have just the one child and a home business to boot, these simple activities are an easy way to keep her engaged without the need for another child for company and give you some time to work on your business as well.

Interested in more summer fun and sanity savers for the busy work-at-home mom? Sign up to be notified when my eBook Summer Sanity Savers   launches soon and get access to free chapters, a special LOW pre-launch prices and fun bonuses as well!

– Prerna Malik is a mom, a wife, a writer and woman who believes in parenting with love, being postively productive, and creating a home that invites you to put your feet up and relax. Find her sharing her simple tips and easy-to-do ideas at The Mom Writes or follow her on Twitter.

Summer Fun for the Only Child is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

This year we’re on Zone Defense, moving room by room, tackling clutter and disorder. This month we’re going after those living spaces and all the “stuff” we use to entertain us.

By now you’ve noticed a pattern for our zones:

1. Personal space
2. Food (kitchen)
3. Clothing (laundry room/linens)

Now we move to the living spaces. I define “living spaces’ as those areas of your home where daily life happens, namely entryway, living room, family room, den. Whatever you call it at your house, you know what I mean, right?

These are the spaces that draw clutter as much as they draw a crowd. It’s where we “do life”. And life, as I know it, is messy. It’s in our best interests and that of our families and housemates to put some order into those general everyday spaces.

At our home, that one where six eight kids of all ages reside, that means a variety of stuff — and lots of little crumbs. Especially under the couch cushions!

Recently, in anticipation of the grandparents’ visiting, we gave our living spaces an overhaul. This is your task this week as well. Check out the tasks that may or may not be needed at your house. They were at ours!

1. Declutter the entryway by thinning out shoes and coats. What really needs to be there?
2. Clean out the coat closet.
3. Sweep and mop the entryway floor.
4. Dust furniture in living and family rooms
5. Vacuum couches and chairs. Yes, under the cushions.
6. Replace burned out light bulbs.
7. Remove clutter.
8. Rearrange/straighten books on the shelves.
9. Dust light fixtures.
10. Vacuum baseboards.
11. Wipe fingerprints from walls and light swithces.
12. Add some fresh flowers or other decorative touch to brighten up your everyday.

Your living spaces may need all of these or just a few. Don’t feel overwhelmed! You don’t have to do them all or all at once. If you chose two per day, your house would look like a new place in a week.

But remember to do #12 when you’re done. It will make you feel so good after all your hard work.

In the coming weeks, we’ll be looking more closely at the items that can bring great joy to our lives: games, books, movies, and music. They can also bring a huge mess if we’re not careful. So we’ll be talking about ways to tame and organize these entertainment beasts.

What living space will you tackle this week?

Zone Defense: Living Spaces is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

I feel a little sad when I look at this picture. And not just because I have lost that really good complexion I once had.

I guess the word isn’t really sad. No, I guess it’s bittersweet. I was 25. My first baby was just a few days old. I had no clue what I was doing.

And yet, he was so sweet! The smell of him was sweet, even amidst the spit-up. And the pain of the stitches, episiotome, and the breast engorgement that I know I was suffering when that picture was taken? Well, yeah, amnesia has set in. Big time.

I have to remind myself that it was hard.

It still is. Just in a different way.

Conquering Mountains

This week as I was driving one of the boys to piano lessons, we discussed what had transpired in the last month. You see, a month ago he was ready to throw in the towel. About a month ago he wanted to quit — and we wouldn’t let him. We made him stick to it.

My days since have been filled with the most beautiful piano recitals. He pushed himself past the fumbling fingers and the missed notes. And he’s practiced.

During our ride to piano, he said, “Yeah, you could say that I got to the top of the mountain and I’m enjoying the ride down.” (so cute!)

To which I replied, “There will be another mountain someday. You might not expect it. But you’ll come to another challenge. And that’s when you remind yourself of how you conquered this mountain. And you’ll remember that you can do it. One success will build on another.”

Motherhood Mountains

I didn’t realize it at the time, but it is a lesson for motherhood. We leap these hurdles: pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, the toddler years. We leap each one. But there’s another in the distance.

Typically these hurdles don’t come all at once, yet in waves, so the challenges and blessings of motherhood come to us. We conquer one and grow stronger. We know we can do it. We enjoy a respite and then we need to push again.

Think on this, moms, as you enter another year of motherhood. The challenges will be there, but so will the blessings. You will get to catch your breath. Just be looking for it! Sometimes it feels like if you blink, you might miss that chance of rest.

And have faith, confidence, that you will conquer this next big thing, too. And you’ll be stronger for it. And you will get to the top of the mountain.

Be sure to enjoy the view on the way up and the way down!

Conquering Mountains is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

Booking It is an online book club where we discuss what we’ve read over the past month as well as review a monthly assigned book. This month’s book is  Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson. 

Heads up: if you make a purchase through any Amazon links in this post, I do receive a small percentage of the sale.

Here we are, another month come and gone. And if it weren’t for you, I might not have read a real book with real pages. Thank you for  keeping me “in the real world”.

I’m coming off the heels of a fabulous cross-country visit to meet one of my favorite authors — in real life! Susan Wise Bauer made us coffee in her very own living room. Kinda wild and crazy.

When I leave the cave, I really know how to do it up. I’ll be telling you about all kinds of great books from that trip another time. But, today, it’s Miss Pettigrew’s turn.

A few months ago, I consulted Anne, Carrie, and Janel to create a reading list for this year. While I get to share the credit and the blame for whatever books we delve into together, the credit really goes to Anne for suggesting this book. It was a winner!

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

I loves this book! I read it last month, actually, and couldn’t put it down. Oh what a fun, fun ride. Think Bing Crosby musical goes abroad.

(I had a childhood crush on Bing. What a tragedy to find out he was as old as my grandfather!)

Miss Pettigrew is an aging, penniless, not-very-good governess stomping the London sidewalks for a job. She has no family and no hope. She was brought up in an ultra-conservative vicar’s home — and thus has certain set opinions about what she can and cannot do. In a few words, her fences are pretty close.

(I’m a firm believer in respecting boundaries — fences — but I think we often make them closer in than may need to be. Sometimes we make the fences closer, sometimes other people do it to us.)

A movie was made of this book a few years ago, but I’m gonna guess that the book is better. ‘Cuz the book was great! I had a lovely escape from reality one weekend, following Miss Pettigrew’s “one day” of adventure outside her comfort zone, outside the fences that have been built around her.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day on IMDB

Warning: there’s drinking and a fair degree of fornication by different characters in the book. These didn’t bother me in the context of the story. If there was “bad language,” I don’t remember it. It must not have shocked me too terribly. I was more distressed by the elements of anti-semitism in the book. This was disappointing, but also a very real (and unfortunate) characteristic of the time period.

As Carrie pointed out, other great books, like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Help, contain objectionable behavior in real life. But that doesn’t necessarily detract from their value as novels.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson is a story of redemption, of love, of daring. And it’s a good example of loving the sinner, but not the sin. I give it two thumbs up.

What else I read

In addition to Miss P. I read a few other things over the last month. It seems that between work and homeschool, it is hard to fit in as much reading as I would like. It’s been a busy couple weeks.

I’ve been reading through The Story of the World with the boys as well as The Betsy-Tacy Treasury with the girls. The boys and I also just started reading The Bronze Bow which we hope to finish by the end of the school year. I’ve read all three of these before and highly recommend them, especially as family read alouds.

Surprisingly, I also got sucked into a memoir that I was sent for review. I’m always skeptical when I am sent books randomly. And Paris in Love sounds kind of random. It’s based on the author’s Facebook updates from the year sabbatical she and her family spent living in Paris. I was surprised, but I liked it a lot! The author is a Shakespeare professor as well as a romance novelist. I can’t vouch for her other books; I gave those up in college.

But, this book was fascinating to me, especially as I hope to take the fam to Paris in a few years. I was sad when the year was over. Not only was it an exploration of life in another country and culture, but an introspective look at family life and what’s most important. Two thumbs up!

Have you been Booking It?

Tell us about the books you’ve read! If you read Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson be sure to tell us what you thought of it.

Check out the list of 12 books that we’ll be reading together this year. Next up in June – All in Good Time by Tara Kuczykowski and Mandi Ehman.

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Booking It (May Update: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.

It is possible to host a beautiful wedding without spending a million dollars. Here’s how we did it on a “smaller” budget.

Eighteen years ago this weekend we got hitched after only four months’ engagement. Yes, it was short. We had dated for two years, though, and once you find the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with, well, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. (Name that movie.)

In that 3.5 months’, pre-internet, pre-pinterest time period, we planned a beautiful wedding. It was by far, the best day of my life, featuring the best wedding food I think I’ve ever eaten, and definitely the best cake.

And we did it on a budget.

Weddings are expensive.

My dad was willing to pay for a wedding for his eldest of three daughters, but he wasn’t going to be extravagant. I groaned with dismay when he set the limit at $5000.

To give you perspective on that number, the average wedding expenditure today is $27,000. The average wedding cost in 1990 was $15,000. So, even though plenty of people have tied the knot for less than $5K, Dad’s number was still pretty low for the time, 1994.

Quite honestly, I was fit to be tied, but there was little I could do about it — unless I wanted to wait and save up more cash. Which I didn’t. Hehe.

Instead, a few years later I lobbied for my youngest sister to get a COLA on her wedding budget. Her budget was $8000 in 2001. And my sister Jamie spent only $3000 on her recent wedding reception. Dad got like three weddings for the price of one!

That said…. today I’m thankful that I wasn’t allowed free reign to spend more than we needed to on a beautiful wedding day. Here are some of my thoughts on the subject, almost twenty years later.

You might already be married, but chances are you have siblings, children, or nieces and nephews that aren’t.

How to plan a budget wedding:

1. Keep perspective.

One thing that I wish I had remembered and am now passing on to others is that this shindig is not all about you. This is a hard thing for brides to come to terms with. We imagine the day all our lives as the day we get to shine like a princess. And while I’ve been there, I also think it’s important to keep things in perspective.

A wedding is a celebration of a new life, a blending of two families, and a transition of roles. While the bride is a princess, she is also not the only who cares about this special day.

So, brides, don’t be a spoiled brat. Be prepared to compromise and consider the needs, wants, and personalities of both families. Keep in mind the sheer amount of money that’s at stake, also. My sister Janel now says she’d rather have that cash to spend on a really nice vacation!

Enough is as good as a feast.

2. Enlist friends to help.

Canvas your friends to find out who is willing and able to help with your wedding event. Guess what? You don’t need a wedding planner. Really. Instead draw from the wealth of skills and talents among those close to you. An older, married friend served as my coordinator. Since I lived with her and her family, she was right there to make me get things done, too.

We were blessed by friends who baked and decorated the cake, arranged the flowers, acted as DJ, served as shuttle drivers, as well as those who set tables and cleaned house in preparation of the Big Day. Andy’s parents even provided their home and garden as the reception location.

3. Do it yourself.

There are an amazing number of things that you can do and make yourself, even moreso now than there were 18 years ago. The trick is not to overdo. (See tips 1 & 2.)

From invitations to party favors to place settings, you can pull together pretty things simply and affordably. Don’t go overboard, but consider what special touches are just fine homemade. Instead of a bar, bartender, etc, we went to Costco and bought cases of bottled water, pop, beer, and champagne and made our own serve-yourself bar.

4. Splurge on the things that matter.

I really wanted good food, nice invitations and quality photographs so we splurged on those items. Today I have friends who would have done those things for me. But, I was content to fill the gap, knowing I was getting my druthers in a few key areas.

As it was, we priced things out and still bargain shopped. We chose the same caterers I had worked for in college and since they knew me, they gave us a great deal and superb service. (It pays to know people, sometimes!) The food was absolutely fantastic!

5. Let go of the things you don’t care about.

We didn’t have a wedding planner, a videographer, or professional hair and make-up people. It didn’t bother me in the slightest that a driveway was our dance floor. I only just now noticed the basketball hoop in the photographs!

Our “live music” was a wanna-be jazz singer who literally crashed the party! He wasn’t even invited to the wedding, but wrote a song for us spontaneously at the reception.

None of this bothered me. They just didn’t matter that much in light of the big picture and small budget.

6. Just smile.

What makes a wedding a beautiful one is the happy couple. Keep smiling — even if things don’t go the way you expect them to. In fact, be ready to laugh — at losing the rings right before the ceremony, at the party-crashing jazz singer, at the dead altar flowers from a previous event catching fire during your vows. (True stories.)

There will be plenty of things to go “wrong”.

A wedding doesn’t make a marriage. A good attitude and a lot of love and grace do. 

You can have a beautiful wedding on a budget — just remember what’s important.

Today’s Frugal Friday!

Time to swap ideas and inspiration for saving money.

How do YOU save money?

Please remember to follow the Frugal Friday Guidelines or be deleted.

1. Post a money saving idea and explain how it is helpful in your post.
2. No giveaways or deals posts.
3. Recipes are allowed, but you must explain how it saves people money.
4. Please include a link back to Life as MOM.

How to Plan a Budget Wedding (Frugal Friday) is a post from: Life As Mom. © Jessica Getskow Fisher - All rights reserved.