While I certainly don’t think it’s our job as parents to entertain our children all summer long, I DO think the summer months at home together can be a lot more enjoyable if we try to plan a few fun (or special, different, out-of-the-ordinary) activities each week.
Today I’m sharing SEVERAL of the extra special, frugal family-fun things we do together each summer. Hopefully it will spark a few ideas for things you could do with your family as well!
Today I’m sharing the revamped (and healthified) recipe for our family’s Favorite Make-Ahead Layered Lettuce Salad (yes, our kids will actually eat small amounts of this salad!)
Not only can this salad be made ahead and enjoyed for days (without getting soggy), it can also be made from pretty much any salad-type ingredients you have in the house — oh, and it tastes amazing too!
Summer is here… well, almost! Nora has 2 more days of school left and then the “lazy days” of summer are officially here!
Come read about what we’ve been up to these past few weeks, some of our upcoming summer plans (we’re trying camping for the first time!), and all the food I’ve been making and baking (I got a sourdough starter!)
Summer break is officially here! Dave is completely finished with his school year, his classroom is cleaned out, and all his grades are entered. We’re looking forward to hanging out at home for the next 10+ weeks… that’s one of my favorite things for sure!
I’m sharing a few more of my favorite things in today’s post!
Although I do try to stay on-top of my home, family, and business responsibilities, I’ve noticed that the easiest times for me to procrastinate are when I have one larger project or to-do looming over my head… can you relate?
Today, I’m sharing a super simple 5-minute procrastination hack that works so well for me!
Since summer is just around the corner (YAY!) and kids will be home for lunches again, I thought it might be good timing to share some of our favorite EASY at-home lunches.
Our lunch options are much more limited than our dinner options, but we still have enough variety ready to go each day that we don’t get bored or feel like we’re eating the same things day after day.
After a decade of living frugally in an effort to pay off our mortgage early while also paying out-of-pocket for our many home renovations, Dave and I have basically kept the same frugal lifestyle, despite the fact that we no longer have nearly as many expenses.
So what are we doing with the extra money? This is a question I’ve been asked countless times over the past few years — and one I’m finally answering today!
I recently shared some of our freezer meals creations on Facebook, and many of you asked me to share a list of the meals we were ACTUALLY eating (with links to the recipes). So that’s what I’m doing today!
These 10 meals are all ones I’ve made for our family in the last 2 weeks, pulling most (if not all) of the ingredients directly from our freezer for fairly quick and easy week night meals — perfect for this busy time of year!
I am not one to follow fads or trends, I have never been the type to “jump on the band wagon” just because “everyone else is doing it”, I rarely have super strong opinions about specific topics, I don’t see many things in life as “black or white” with no middle ground, and I strongly dislike all-or-nothing decisions and situations.
Instead, I opt for a mentality of all-things-in-moderation — which has been a HUGE asset in my quest for simple living.
Over the past 18 months, my cooking style has drastically changed and as a result, we’re buying most of our pantry staples in bulk.
I feel like I finally have a really good storage solution for all our bulk pantry staples — which is what I’m sharing today, complete with my first-ever chalkboard label project!
One thing I have stressed over and over and over again in my own life, with past clients, with my children, and here on my blog is the importance of planning ahead.
I could talk about planning ahead all day long, but if I had to boil it down to one single reason why planning ahead helps me to simplify, streamline, and de-stress my entire life, it would be this: Planning ahead lets me focus on the IMPORTANT instead of dealing with the URGENT.
I’m honestly not sure if braided rugs are in-style, trendy, or even remotely popular right now, but I really like the look of them in my home! They fit my semi-primitive-country-farmhouse style and they add a nice pop of color to my otherwise very white spaces!
Since I get SOOOOO many questions (and compliments) about my rugs, I thought it was time for a full-length blog post!
I often find myself striving for improvement in almost every single thing I do — which can lead to feelings of being inadequate and not good enough (I’m sure some of you can relate!)
Today I’m sharing the super simple technique I use when these thoughts creep into my brain… I’d love to know how you handle these thoughts as well!
As much as possible, I try to use “all-natural” products — especially if they are also simple and frugal. When it comes to DIY cleaning products, they are usually all of the above — simple, frugal, and all-natural! Score!
If you’d like to try a few DIY cleaning products but don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right spot!
A few weeks ago, I shared why I don’t buy kids’ clothing in advance, why we purge outgrown clothing immediately, and why I don’t rotate clothing out by season.
As a follow-up on that post, I thought it might be helpful to share how we store the kids’ clothing we DO keep — everything that actually fits and that they wear right now!
As our children get older, as our vegetable garden gets larger, and as I have more “free time” for activities I enjoy, I hope to increase the types and quantities of food I preserve each year.
And since we’re entering the time of year when canning and preserving are becoming hot topics of conversation again, I thought it might be perfect timing to share some of MY favorite canning resources (the ones I’ve used year after year for as long as I can remember).
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