Starting the Year off Different

So as I wrote in my last post things have changed a bit for us in the last month. With money tight, unnecessary purchases have really come to an end. (I did take a trip over to see my sister and family this weekend which put us back $40 but was oh so worth it to see my new nephew Luke and to see the rest of my family who I hadn't seen since I got the plague back at Christmas) After reading inspiration about a Pantry Challenge from one of my favorite blogs I figured it was the perfect time for us to try too. Only shopping for items to round out meals we spent around $50 on food this January to feed our growing family. I think that's pretty great. Dylan has been eating like a horse lately, I've been eating a ton too (yes I am in my sixth month so I can) and even Lincoln is sitting through dinner eating the whole time... and not scraping off his plate or throwing food to the dog. My boys are growing but I've been able to "shop our pantry and freezer" plus a humbling experience at the local food bank and no one is going hungry in the slightest. Yay for using your resources.

Comments

Do's and Don'ts of Birthdays and Parties

My oldest son just turned 7 and since we are watching every cent going out I tried to be as creative as possible when coming up with the birthday of a life time (until next year). Do: Make Them Feel Important Without Spending Money Waffles with chocolate syrup for breakfast are ok on a special day like this! (I love using a pizza cutter to slice waffles and pancakes for the little guys, especially Lincoln who is still learning to feed himself with a fork) Measuring on the wall of fame, we only write on it once a year now to make it exciting. Dylan grew about 3.25 inches in one year! This momma gets tired quicker than ever being 30+ weeks pregnant and chasing after a rowdy toddler so I didn't do the fanciest cakes (remember the volcano cake from birthday 4 or the mint chocolate chip cupcakes from last year) but I did find some cute stickers that have been in the house for years, put a matching one on both sides of a flat tooth pick and voila, cupcakes to compete with the best ...

To Infinity and Beyond

Well beyond five years that is. February 22 marks our first date and somehow Shane even remembered that. Since I feel like a crumb-bum of a wife lately I set up a special little thing to show him how much these last five years have actually meant to me. (I get that it isn't our wedding anniversary but any day can be special so I wanted to make this special too) I wrote him a little love letter and put out five things that are meaningful in our relationship together, quite the mishmash if you ask me, but it works. In no particular order: 1. Motley Crue - We we to our first concert together over the summer to see Shane's favorite band and I got to get my 80's on while he got to relive the glory days. 2. The Spiderwick Chronicles - We went to see this movie with our nephews for our first official date. I think it's sweet that now the boys watch it all the time. 3. Coffee - We have shared many conversations, hours, and events all while drinking coffee. We both love it ...

Blending In, Lazy Fall Days and a Birthday Too

I have a picture of Dylan taking a nap in Daddy's camouflage a year or two ago. This year I thought it would be fun to get one of Lincoln in the same pile of clothes. I love how all three of these were taken within a few seconds of each other but his facial expressions are so different. Today when Dylan got home from school he was grumpy and said he didn't feel too well so he zonked out for a nap on the couch while I also got Lincoln down for a nap too. Danielle stayed after school for some help so I actually got part of dinner ready and cleaned out the dish washer. Of course I didn't get to finish this before the little one woke up, but hey I had a small moment of silence complete with a picture of a one handed baby and a little boy turning into a little man with a little smear of pink frosting on his cheek from a girls' birthday party at kindergarten. Danielle is 17 today! I can hardly believe it. This picture was taken a week or two ago by Danielle's frien...

Free Range on Fairview

Search This Blog