So this week I went through this cabinet, getting rid of things we don’t use and packing the rest for our big move.
In that cabinet, I got rid of a good size stack of expired coupon inserts and store ads, several Rachael Ray magazines, a couple expired tea samples (how did those get in there?), some old CD’s, and a couple laminate wood samples.
Do you have a cabinet where you hide some clutter? Why don’t you go through it and see what you can toss today!
by 
I am absolutely loving every bit of “purging” as we prepare to move! This week I finally decided to get rid of a few clothing items and shoes that just don’t fit well, so I rarely wear them.
I also found some cross stitch material in some drawers where I had kept some of my sewing stuff. I just love seeing drawers empty and my closet have less stuff. The more I get rid of, the less we have to move!
by
Yesterday I shared a picture of some items we have recently purged from our home for the “Clutter Busting Challenge” hosted by Money Saving Mom! Here’s another picture for today:
This week I decided to get rid of some sewing items. Several years ago I really, really wanted to learn to sew. My family pitched in and bought be a sewing machine for my birthday one year. I took classes. I attempted projects…..BUT I never got good at sewing. It takes me FOREVER to sew a simple straight line.
Honestly, I think I need special one-on-one instruction and that would probably help me. (Though I would for sure need someone who is incredibly patient). However, reality is I just don’t have time to pick up this skill. I have many other things that I am good at, so I will keep at those.
For now, I will say good-bye to the material I have accumulated, the pillows I had hoped to turn into something pretty, and the little containers that held random things.
by
This month the Money Saving Mom is hosting a “Clutter Busting Challenge”, asking people to get rid of 7 things every day for the month of May.
This challenge comes at a great time for me since we are moving in less than two weeks. While I am a bit behind in the game as far as blogging about this challenge, I am loving every bit of getting rid of things! Purging is something that I constantly do, but since we are moving I am being a more ruthless about it.
I haven’t taken pictures of everything I am getting rid of (and it definitly is more than 7 things a day), but over the next few days I will share some of the pictures I have actually taken! Here’s my first one…
Here’s what I purged for this day:
Look around your house. What seven things can you purge today?
by
This is a bittersweet week. In less than three weeks we are moving into a new, bigger home. This week my husband and I began packing, and preparing our home for the rental market.
It has been a bitter week, because as I go through everything in our house, I am reminded that I am finally getting our current home to the way I want it…and I’m going to have to start all over! A little over a year ago, right before the arrival of our son, I redid the Master Bedroom. The entire house is officially painted in the colors I want. While not everything is organized the way I would like it, I know what I want to get it the way I’d like it to be.
And here’s the biggest reason I’m a little upset about moving. Right before my son turned one, I FINALLY finished decorating his bedroom. It took me three weeks to get this owl decal up – and we can’t take it with! (Although I am welcome to any suggestions as to how we might be able to get it off the wall and stick it back up in the new home!)
And it’s a sweet week because I am doing something I LOVE to do: declutter and purge. Nothing, and I do mean nothing, is safe in this house! We have a garage sale coming up soon, so all is up for grabs. Better yet, my husband is willing to purge some things too. Having to pack allows me to go through absolutely everything we own and ask the question, “Should I keep or toss?”
Tuesday night we began removing furniture from our living room and “dining room”, opening up the space in hopes to make it look bigger to those who come through for rental showings. As we decluttered these rooms, we joked that we should “Love It or List It”. We loved the clean look. What a difference it made by removing a bookshelf from the living room, and a table from the “dining room” (some in our neighborhood use the space as a family room).
If something changed and we ended up staying in our current home, we may not put these items back. Afterall, how often did we really use the books off the bookshelf? And the dining room table…well, it just collected junk, which in turn just aggravated me anyway.
Summer is coming. The Garage Sale season has started. So whether you are moving or not, now is the time to start going through things and asking yourself, “Should I keep or toss?”
by
A couple years ago I tried a Gluten-Free diet for about 6 months. I had no problem going without bread or pasta (although I do love them!), but I did struggle with desserts. I love to bake, especially in the middle of the winter months. And while I don’t eat a lot of them, I love sweets.
I searched and searched for recipes, trying to find gluten-free baked treats that had “normal” ingredients in it. Out of that search came this recipe!
These brownies are to die for! Whether you are on a gluten-free diet or not, you will love these. I love undercooking them just a bit so they are a bit gooeyer. This bit of chocolaty goodness is a must serve with a glass of milk!
Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1/4 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions
by
Did you have any idea that you can make Powdered Sugar? Did you know that it’s super easy to do?
We’ve all been there. You’re in the middle of making a dessert or frosting. You go to pull the powdered sugar out of the pantry and realize you don’t have any. You don’t have time to make another trip to the grocery store, but you have to. It’s the only thing you can do to finish frosting that cake on time!
This was me not long ago. Sadly, I knew I needed powdered sugar. It even made it to my grocery list, and I forgot it. TWICE! Then I remembered my sister saying she had made some powdered sugar using her Vitamix blender. So I pulled mine out and gave it a try. It was so easy and took no time at all!
Now, I realize that not everyone has a Vitamix blender. So today I pulled out my Cuisinart blender and gave it a try. It worked!
Here’s the “How To”!
Needed: Sugar and a blender
Using a non-Vitamix blender
– Put desired amount of sugar into blender.
– Make sure lid is in place on top. (You don’t want to paint your cabinets with sugar)
– “Mix” on high until sugar crystals turn into a powder form (about 30-60 seconds).
Note: I only did a cup at a time!
Using a Vitamix Blender
– Using the dry grain blade, put desired amount of sugar into blender.
– Make sure lid is in place on top.
– Start on Variable 1, quickly increasing to a 5 or 6. Blend until sugar crystals turn into a powder. This takes about 30-60 seconds.
Yep! It’s that simple. So next time you’re out of powdered sugar and you need some in a pinch, pull out your blender and make your own.
by
Preparing for the arrival of a baby can be overwhelming. So much needs to be done, so much needs to be bought. If it’s your first one, you need to register for the baby and it’s hard to know where to even begin.
Since our son was adopted, we asked that the baby shower be given after his birth. We had three weeks between his arrival and the baby shower. We borrowed a co-sleeper, blankets, a bouncy seat, and a boppy pillow from my sister. We bought a few burp cloths, onsies, a couple outfits, bottles, a bag of diapers and wipes. While we didn’t have much when we brought him home, we had just what we needed.
When it goes beyond the every day basics of baby needs, everyone has their own list of “must haves” for a baby. My house is small and I didn’t want to clutter it up with big items the baby may or may not use. Not all babies like swings, and quite honestly we didn’t have the space for one, so I didn’t get one. We survived!
There are four “must haves” for me though! Here they are…
1. Travel System (Carseat/Stroller)
You need a carseat to bring the baby home in, and well, let’s face it…a stroller just makes life easier. I laugh every time my Grandma sees our travel system and says, “This is the niftiest contraption ever made! They’ve sure made a lot of improvements since I was raising children.”
2. Bouncy Seat
The biggest thing to look for in a bouncy seat is to find one that actually bounces a little! Some of them have absolutely no give at all, which defeats the purpose. The week we brought Gavin home, friends gave us our bouncy seat (much to my husband’s delight, as the one we borrowed from my sister was pink). This new bouncy seat played music and vibrated, which helped if the little man was particularly fussy.
3. Baby Carrier
For me, a baby carrier is a must have! My little guy lived in one for at least the first four months of his life. Even now at a year old, I still will occassionaly carry him in one if needed. I went for walks and hikes with Gavin in the carrier, cleaned my house, washed dishes, led children’s choir and taught Sunday school lessons. It comes in super handy when your little one wants to be held and you need to get things done.
I have two carriers. The first one is the Jeep carrier. I used this one when we were out and about. It’s easy to strap on and for the most part it is comfortable. The heavier my son got, the more it dug into my shoulder and hurt my back if he was in it for any length of time. However, Gavin logged many hours being carried in it!
The second carrier I have is a Moby Wrap. The only negative I have about it is that it has so much material, which makes it difficult to put on in public places. If I know I’m going to be using it, I simply put it on before I leave the house. That being said, I LOVE the Moby. It is super comfortable to wear, it holds the baby close to your body, and gives awesome back support. As my son increased in weight, this has been my “go to” carrier when I need one!
4. Music
I cannot tell you how many times my Gavin is crabby or unconsolable and I start to sing to him, or put on a CD and he immediately calms. It doesn’t even have to be kids music! We often play worship music or hymns for him. His favorite is Jimmy Needham’s “Jesus Paid it All”. It seems to always calm him, no matter what.
What is on your “Must Have” list for baby?
by
A little over a year ago, we welcomed our son into our home and hearts through the loving gift of adoption. We had just seven weeks to prepare our home for the new arrival, and rework our budget to include the needs of the baby.
Diapers – $50/month
Babies go through diapers like none other the first several months. Thankfully, we had enough diapers from our baby shower to last the first two months.
* Money Saving Tips:
Use Coupons: Pampers and Huggies offer printable coupons online, as well as in Sunday papers. Pair these with a sale to save even more money. Personally, I love Pampers. My little guy always leaked through while wearing Huggies diapers. If you still want a name brand diaper, Luvs is the perfect solution. They cost around $6.99 a bag, often go on sale for $5.99 and they offer coupons.
Thankfully, the older the baby gets, the less diapers he uses. Eventually, you will only spend about $25 a month for diapers.
Diaper Wipes – $10/Month
For us, we had enough wipes from the baby shower to last us the first 8 months or so.
* Money Saving Tips:
Another way to reduce the cost of diaper wipes is to “go green”! When we are home, I use washcloths for my little guy. Overall, I think they clean better than wipes, and my son has rarely had a diaper rash!
Formula – $80-$100/Month
Since we were adopting, nursing wasn’t an option for me. At $22 – $26 a can, formula is so incredibly expensive, but you can save money!
Trade coupon checks on the Baby Center community website. We use Gerber Goodstart for our son, so we traded Similac and Enfamil coupon checks for Gerber Goodstart.
Use coupons! Similac, Enfamil and Gerber occasionally offer printable coupons online and sometimes in Sunday papers. I have rarely bought formula without using a coupon.
Buy store brands. Target and Walmart brands are similar to Enfamil and Similac. While name brand formula can cost $20-26 a can, store brands run about $16 a can. In addition, Target sometimes has coupons available on their website. Also, I have emailed Parent’s Choice (Walmart brand) to request coupons and they have mailed some to me.
Look for sales and stock up. A local grocery store will often have Gerber Goodstart for $19.88 a can. When I’m able to pair these with coupons or coupon checks, I pay less than $16 a can (and sometimes as little as $10).
Clothes
Clothing really depends on each family. As a family, we budget $40 each month for clothing. Some months we use it, others we don’t. We had several gift cards from the baby shower that we used for clothes for Gavin. We borrowed some clothes from friends and family, and we asked for clothes for Christmas and birthday gifts. Otherwise, most of our son’s clothes were purchased on clearance for super cheap!
by
Summer is coming, which means lots of grilling, picnics and barbeques. If you’re like me, you’re looking for something that’s tasty and easy to make to bring to the next gathering.
Look no farther! This pasta salad is just for you.
It has all the basic ingredients of a typical pasta salad, with just a little twist. Creamy Italian Dressing. The creamy Italian dressing changes the “look” of the pasta salad….making it stand out from all the others. The creamy texture boosts the flavor and will have everyone asking, “What is the secret ingredient?“
Just try it. You won’t be disappointed!
Creamy Italian Pasta Salad
1 (16 oz) box rotini pasta (I used tricolor)
1 (16 oz) bottle of Creamy Italian Dressing
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 a cucumber, sliced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 (6 oz) can black olives
1 cup shredded parmesan
1. Make pasta according to package instructions. Drain and cool.
2. In the meantime, chop vegetables and slice olives in half.
3. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Keep refrigerated until serving. (I like to add dressing before serving, otherwise the pasta just soaks it up and you’ll have to add more).
by
March 20th, 2018
March 19th, 2018
February 15th, 2018
February 14th, 2018
February 7th, 2018
