Dave and I recently renewed our 2-year cell phone contracts… and we both got iPhones! Yes, it was totally against our ultra-frugal nature, but I have to say, the iPhone has completely saved any shred of productivity I had left after Nora arrived!
Now, 2 months later, I would honestly say that these iPhones are one of our best purchases. I can’t believe we lived without them for so long!
Several weeks ago we started having major issues with our refrigerator; and as we were trying to fix the issues, I noticed that the top shelf of our refrigerator was 10-12 degrees warmer than the bottom drawers — and the same was true for the freezer!
Now that things are “fixed” I decided to reorganize our refrigerator by temperature… and I can’t believe the difference it has made in the freshness of our food!
I’m the type of person who likes to be good at everything I do. I’m a fast learner, I work really hard, I’m willing to do things I don’t want to do, make sacrifices, deal with difficult situations, push myself to be better… and I LOVE a challenge. So I should excel at motherhood… right?
But for some reason, I feel like I’m barely staying afloat. After 13 weeks, I’m still quite overwhelmed, and have decided to give in to my new little “boss” who now seems to run the show over at the Dekker house!
It’s honestly the BEST apple cake/bread I’ve ever made! It tasted absolutely delicious plain {for breakfast} and with a dollop of whipped cream {for dessert}! And even though I cut out some of the fat by replacing half the oil with my homemade applesauce, this cake was still SO moist and very dense with a grand total of FIVE chopped up apples!
I think this might be my new “go-to” recipe for apples… I only wish I didn’t have to wait until next Fall to have a great selection of fresh Michigan apples!
Working in an organized space will not only help you to be more efficient and more productive — it will also help you to enjoy the time you spend in your office area!
Whether you work in a big corner office, the back bedroom of your house, your car, or even a tray table in your living room, there are plenty of creative ways you can better organize your office space… and I’m sharing a bunch of them today!
Despite my best attempts to keep my cleaning supplies simple and organized, they were starting to pile up again… and I wanted to do something about it. Plus I was just in the mood for a quick organizing project 🙂
So a couple weeks ago, I got to work organizing our cleaning supplies and purging anything I wasn’t using. I also created a new bathroom cleaning bucket — which has saved me so much time already!
A few years ago, I was trying to come up with a creative way to all the Christmas cards we had received… AND I was looking for a decorative piece to go above our piano. I wanted something that was inexpensive and I wanted it ASAP.
I found a huge frame on the 90% off rack of a local craft store and in about 15 minutes, I turned it into a fantastic {and functional} piece for our home!
One of the most often asked questions I get from frustrated readers and clients is “How do I KEEP things organized?”
And although I can give you lots of tips and suggestions for different ways to stay organized, my simple sollution is to practice daily maintenance. Today, I’m sharing a few simple ways to help you to just that.
Since I work for a handful of other companies, blogs, websites, etc. it’s important for me to accurately track all my “billable hours” so I know how much to invoice the people I work for. However, I also like to track the time I spend on my own website so I know where all the hours in my day are going… and if it’s all worth it!
Today I’m sharing the simple method I use for tracking my time and how it helps increase my efficiency.
26 years ago… we took a four-generation picture the day I was baptized.
Yesterday… we took another four-generation picture for Nora’s baptism.
We both wore the same dress, we both were cute as a button, and we both had the privilege of Godly mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. It was a good day!
Ever since Dave and I got married and I started cooking and baking, I’ve had an internal conflict about whether to use butter or margarine. I know this sounds ridiculous, but any time I’m at the grocery store, I always question which I should buy…
Since I’m definitely not qualified to give any sort of dietary or nutrition advice, I’m wondering what choices you make when it comes to butter, margarine, and all the many other products out there.
I don’t know about you, but we get all kinds of extra envelopes in the mail via credit card offers, donation requests, or for bills that we pay online. I’ve done everything I can to “opt-out”, unsubscribe, and sign up for paperless statements… but the envelopes still come!
I have a few creative uses for these extra envelopes, but I’m wondering if you have any to add to my list??
It must be “that time of year” — based on the number of emails and questions I’ve been getting lately, you must all be ready to organize your closets!
So, instead of answering every single email, comment, and Facebook message; I thought I would do a quick post with a bunch of links to different posts about organizing clothes.
A few months ago, I mentioned that we almost always use cloth napkins at our house. And after reading the comments, it sounds like many of you also use cloth napkins. However, I did receive a few emails and comments that suggested cloth napkins were too expensive.
If you are looking for REALLY cheap {possibly even free} cloth napkins, you might want to check out this simple tutorial for No-Sew Cloth Napkins — I’m pretty sure anyone could make these 🙂
Since this is the time of the year to stock up on linens during all the “white sales” at local department stores, I thought it might be a good time to talk about storing and organizing extra sheets, blankets, comforters, pillows, towels, etc.
I’m sharing some of my simple storage ideas… but I’d love to know how you store your extra linens as well.
Since meat is one of the most expensive things on our grocery list each week, I’m always looking for ways to stretch good cuts of meat in our weekly meal plans. So when I found a great deal on ham during the Christmas season, I bought a couple and used up the first one last week.
I created a meal plan that used ham every single night… and no one even noticed! Come see how I fed 4 people for an entire with with one $4.00 ham!
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