Have you ever heard of respiratory syncytial virus, otherwise known as RSV? I hadn’t heard much about it either. That is, until we recently came face-to-face with this illness. Now that our baby is feeling better, I want to share some home remedies for RSV (and tools) that were helpful during our brief battle with this virus. The whole family had been sick for two weeks. It wasn’t until the second week that the baby (only six weeks old) inevitably caught what I thought was a cold. That virus … [Read more...]
A Week in the Life: First Week of April, 2018
This week two of the four school-aged kids had testing. In Alaska state testing is not mandatory and plenty of homeschooling families choose to opt out. Our family enjoys and values testing (hey, it's something different!) and so we embrace the difference that it brings to our spring. I forgot how life with a newborn makes even simple errands seem daunting. I braved life outside the cave this week and ventured down to the library with the gang to grab some books. Upon arriving home, this … [Read more...]
A Week in The Life: 3rd Week of March, 2018
In case you didn't know it, I'm not superwoman. In fact, I tend to have a "soapbox" moment when confronted with apparent superwomen in my real life. Have you met these women? They are the sweetest, kindest gals; always ready to drop a meal, and asking how they can help. Unfortunately, it's been my experience that 95% of the time these women (usually with young children underfoot) are the same gals who are confiding to me that they're exhausted. Yes, exhausted. In the interest of practicing … [Read more...]
Paid off Mortgage: How it Really Feels
I've got some really exciting news that I can't wait any longer to share with you... because we finally did it! We paid off our mortgage! Our family is now COMPLETELY debt free. Beholden to none. Master of our domain (and pocketbook). Guess what? It feels every bit as phenomenal as you might imagine. After a few weeks to let everything soak in, we've started to realize just what a huge burden has been lifted. Not only that, but we are amazed at just how quickly our savings replenish … [Read more...]
7 Essential Simple Living Tips
Are you as overwhelmed as I often am?? We live in a world that has a ton of gizmos and gear designed to help us live a better life. Sometimes all of this stuff really does make life easier, but often just the opposite happens. Instead of feeling better, our lives are worse. So many of us dream of a simpler life! We want to resist the temptation to own so many things and bring minimalism to our lives. Ready for some encouragement today? Simple living isn't as hard as you might think. … [Read more...]
Stick a Fork in it: the story of a coffee grinder
Once upon a time, I bought an inexpensive little espresso machine. I had just delivered our second son and was in dire need of a daily pick-me-up. Enter the Mr. Coffee ECMP50. This is the same machine that we're using today, nine years later. *Oh, and by the way, there is a HUGE difference between a bar pump machine and a steam-driven espresso machine! In case you're like my husband and I and were wondering why your two Wedding-gifted machines created espresso that tasted like a burnt … [Read more...]
Why Budgeting is Important: Your #1 Tool
Sick and tired of being in debt? There's one weapon in your personal finance arsenal that can inflict more damage on your debt than any other. That weapon is a budget. Want to know why budgeting is important? Does budgeting really even matter? There are numerous benefits to creating and maintaining a household budget. A well-crafted budget is a crucial asset for families seeking to: Curb excessive spending Resolve past debts Afford major purchases Save for college funds or … [Read more...]
Flat Diapers: Old-Fashioned and Awesome!
One of the biggest ways that parents can save money is to use cloth diapers. But if you're like me, I bet you've seen some surprisingly large price tags for fancy new diapers. What if I told you that you could put several kids through cloth for just over $100 worth of flat diapers and covers? That's right, flat diapers. The very same old fashioned cloth diapers that your grandma used! After a decade of using cloth diapers, I'm happy to announce my favorite workhorse diapers... flat … [Read more...]
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