Tips and Tricks

Bills, Bills, Bills

Lately I’ve been including Evie (age 8 ) and Mack (age almost 7) in bill paying. They are old enough to understand what money is and how it is earned, and now it is my job to help them appreciate what goes in to running a household. Someday they will have families of their own […]


Holiday Cards from Minted.com

OK, so I know this post will make it seem like I’m soooo on top of things, but let me assure you that I am most definitely not. But, yesterday, I received my order of holiday cards. I spent part of an evening last week knocking this off my future to-do list, and I’m so […]


Disney Lite

I freely admit that I am a bit of a grump when it comes to Disneyworld. I respect that it is a very special place for lots of people, but waiting in long sweaty lines with lots of sweaty people just is not my idea of fun. Layer in anxious and exhausted kids, and I’d […]


Homemade Almond Butter

For the past couple months Trader Joe’s has had a shortage of almond butter.  Lately my husband has been using it every day in a smoothie, so the shortage at TJ’s was becoming an issue! Ha! I’m not sure why I continued to buy almond butter when we’ve prepared homemade peanut butter for so many […]


Pricey Peppers for a Pittance

Every week I travel to a few different grocery stores.  We stick to a very strict $150/week grocery budget, and I do my absolute best to stock our kitchen with plenty of seasonal and organic food.  If I want to stay on budget, I can’t rely on just one store to fill our needs.  I […]


When Used Books Make Sen$e

Today in protest of his regular afternoon nap Mack decided to tear apart one of his absolute favorite books.  After listening to him chat and whine and sing and yell for nearly an hour, I went up to his room and saw the destruction.  Shreds of paper littered the floor, and little Mack couldn’t have […]


Homemade Haircut

My 18 month old son is officially no longer a baby. He had his first haircut the other day. Sniff, sniff. Prior to the cut, he had long, wispy, baby curls circling the base of his head. In the sun, his hair – so blond its practically white – glowed like a holy halo. The […]


Economical (and Easy!) Homemade Chicken Stock

We love love love roast chicken.  Especially on a Sunday evening when the house has been calm all day and I’m happy to unwind with a cozy meal.  I buy delicious free-range chickens from our wonderful co-op, and every roast chicken comes out of the oven juicy and flavorful even when I season with nothing […]


The Homemade Way to Take Out the Trash

No matter how hard I try to avoid plastic bags, they always seem to creep into my home.  Considering that nearly 1 trillion crappy plastic bags are produced worldwide every year, its no surprise that avoiding them is tough, even for an eco-freak like me who keeps a stash of re-useable bags in the car […]


The Homemade Way to Clean Glass and Mirrors

I am always tinkering with homemade ways to clean my home.  I don’t like the expense and chemical overload associated with conventional cleaners, so more often than not I turn to old-fashioned staples like white vinegar and baking soda to get a job done. For a while now I’ve wanted to make a homemade cleaner […]


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